Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $711 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$711

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Phuket

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 Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Cajamarca versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Cajamarca $711
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Cajamarca versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Cajamarca $1,189
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,666 in Cajamarca versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Cajamarca $1,666
Phuket $2,867

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 PEN 10.70

$4.58 ฿153

-32.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.79 PEN 98.9

$32.48 ฿1,086

-11.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PEN 20.20

$8.55 ฿286

-31.23%

Cappuccino

$2.88 PEN 9.89

$2.72 ฿91.0

5.88%

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

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$0.94 ฿31.25

-18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.94

$0.49 ฿16.39

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 PEN 8.75

$2.59 ฿86.6

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 11.99

$3.83 ฿128

-8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$1.74 ฿58.1

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 PEN 10.69

$1.43 ฿47.82

117.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.35

$1.53 ฿51.0

-16.99%

Eggs

$2.39 PEN 8.19

$2.17 ฿72.7

10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 PEN 24.91

$19.15 ฿640

-62.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 PEN 26.20

$3.30 ฿110

131.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 PEN 55.3

$11.14 ฿372

44.52%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.88

$2.95 ฿98.5

-71.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.12

$1.68 ฿56.1

-45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.92

$2.30 ฿76.8

-50.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.87

$2.13 ฿71.3

-60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.53 ฿51.1

-42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.36 ฿45.55

-43.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$1.12 ฿37.44

-20.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$0.55 ฿18.24

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 PEN 24.34

$4.26 ฿142

66.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 PEN 39.76

$18.19 ฿608

-36.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.18

$1.74 ฿58.2

53.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.79 ฿93.3

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.03

$2.22 ฿74.1

-73.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.67 PEN 29.76

$22.06 ฿737

-60.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 PEN 9.05

$2.91 ฿97.3

-9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 PEN 5.80

$1.01 ฿33.79

67.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 PEN 19.90

$3.83 ฿128

51.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 PEN 4.81

$1.49 ฿49.85

-6.04%

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

$23.6K PEN 81.2K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-11.41%

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

$28.5K PEN 98.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

6.89%

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

$58.0 PEN 199

$99.4 ฿3,321

-41.62%

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

$9.31 PEN 31.96

$11.28 ฿377

-17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.16 PEN 69.2

$17.36 ฿580

16.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.98 PEN 113

$52.3 ฿1,747

-36.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 PEN 60.0

$10.85 ฿362

61.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 PEN 12.82

$7.57 ฿253

-50.73%

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

$147 PEN 505

$558 ฿18.7K

-73.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,322 PEN 14.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-62.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 PEN 147

$62.9 ฿2,102

-31.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 PEN 98.8

$28.58 ฿955

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 PEN 254

$96.1 ฿3,213

-23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 PEN 249

$88.1 ฿2,943

-17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 683

$729 ฿24.4K

-72.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 401

$460 ฿15.4K

-74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 PEN 1,766

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-75.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 PEN 1,076

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-74.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 PEN 1,913

$493 ฿16.5K

12.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 9.6% $23

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$117 16.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 294% $343

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 18.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$98 13.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$87 12.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 46.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 66.7% $27

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 75.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cajamarca vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $268 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

12 h ahead of Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

79,308

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca Phuket 19,660 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Cajamarca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Cajamarca versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 154% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Cajamarca versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $711 in Cajamarca versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Phuket 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.