Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $1,607 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cajamarca and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Cajamarca $695
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Cajamarca versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Cajamarca $1,177
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,658 in Cajamarca versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Cajamarca $1,658
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 57% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 48% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PEN 12.30

$13.75 MX$250

-74.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.96 PEN 99.6

$50.2 MX$913

-42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 PEN 20.46

$11.13 MX$203

-46.54%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PEN 9.08

$4.04 MX$73.5

-34.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 PEN 2.72

$1.70 MX$31.00

-53.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$0.99 MX$18.00

-37.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 PEN 7.92

$2.41 MX$43.80

-4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 PEN 12.50

$4.48 MX$81.6

-18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.76

$1.92 MX$34.98

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 PEN 11.25

$2.89 MX$52.6

13.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.44

$1.94 MX$35.34

-33.51%

Eggs

$2.28 PEN 7.85

$2.50 MX$45.47

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 26.09

$12.30 MX$224

-38.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 PEN 21.60

$9.33 MX$170

-32.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 PEN 45.12

$13.07 MX$238

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$3.38 MX$61.5

-68.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$1.58 MX$28.75

-50.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.22

$2.20 MX$40.07

-44.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.71

$2.45 MX$44.48

-55.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.53

$2.26 MX$41.09

-67.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.42

$2.74 MX$49.89

-63.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 PEN 2.48

$1.53 MX$27.83

-52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$1.26 MX$22.94

-40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 PEN 30.89

$4.84 MX$88.1

85.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 PEN 35.05

$13.59 MX$247

-25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.92

$1.91 MX$34.69

35.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.44

$3.06 MX$55.8

-19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$0.80 MX$14.47

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.93 PEN 30.72

$31.77 MX$578

-71.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$1.62 MX$29.50

8.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 PEN 4.56

$1.10 MX$19.99

20.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 PEN 17.37

$10.97 MX$199

-53.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.21

$1.52 MX$27.68

-0.66%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K PEN 81.6K

$21.4K MX$388.7K

11.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K PEN 88.9K

$25.5K MX$463.3K

1.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$49.76 PEN 171

$120 MX$2,178

-58.44%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.79 PEN 33.68

$27.08 MX$493

-63.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.01 PEN 99.8

$26.70 MX$486

8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.97 PEN 107

$31.15 MX$567

-0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.52 PEN 70.6

$21.95 MX$399

-6.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 PEN 16.37

$5.14 MX$93.5

-7.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$137 PEN 472

$688 MX$12.5K

-80.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 PEN 15.4K

$11.4K MX$207.9K

-60.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 PEN 178

$71.9 MX$1,308

-28.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 PEN 101

$43.30 MX$788

-32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 PEN 278

$112 MX$2,040

-27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 PEN 278

$122 MX$2,216

-33.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 683

$957 MX$17.4K

-79.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 PEN 354

$670 MX$12.2K

-84.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 PEN 1,812

$1,887 MX$34.3K

-72.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 PEN 1,089

$1,305 MX$23.7K

-75.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,338 PEN 8,043

$4,159 MX$75.7K

-43.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$727 PEN 2,500

$1,133 MX$20.6K

-35.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.79

-10.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$229 33.1%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 36.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$109 15.8%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 43.8% $48

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$103 14.9%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 551% $567

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$103 14.8%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 118% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$89 12.8%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 95.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 2.3% $0.9

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$20 2.8%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 115% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cajamarca vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $312 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

01:06 1:06 AM

1 h behind Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca Monterrey 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cajamarca vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Cajamarca versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 256% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $137 in Cajamarca versus $688 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.