Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,101 in Cajamarca versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Cajamarca versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 PEN 10.62

$11.99 MX$210

-73.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 PEN 93.0

$41.78 MX$733

-34.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 PEN 19.36

$10.75 MX$189

-46.88%

Cappuccino

$2.82 PEN 9.56

$3.50 MX$61.3

-19.43%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$1.45 MX$25.41

-44.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.88 MX$15.52

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.34

$2.95 MX$51.7

-26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.21

$4.51 MX$79.1

-26.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.43 MX$25.12

-12.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.20

$1.84 MX$32.23

63.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.57 MX$27.51

-30.57%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.36

$2.51 MX$44.06

-13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PEN 20.89

$8.28 MX$145

-25.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.22

$8.43 MX$148

-29.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 PEN 41.05

$10.68 MX$187

13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$2.61 MX$45.76

-61.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.35

$1.44 MX$25.22

-52.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$1.96 MX$34.41

-54.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.56

$2.09 MX$36.74

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.34

$1.85 MX$32.47

-62.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.22

$2.17 MX$38.02

-56.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$1.03 MX$18.09

-39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.39

$1.07 MX$18.84

-33.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 PEN 27.48

$4.10 MX$72.0

97.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 PEN 34.97

$10.17 MX$178

1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.22

$1.68 MX$29.38

44.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 PEN 8.12

$2.53 MX$44.31

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.51 MX$8.93

7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.71

$26.04 MX$457

-68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 PEN 5.80

$3.23 MX$56.7

-47.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.09

$2.41 MX$42.19

-49.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 PEN 16.92

$3.23 MX$56.6

54.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.11

$1.32 MX$23.17

14.39%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-24.14%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

4.75%

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

$46.02 PEN 156

$82.0 MX$1,439

-43.88%

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

$9.05 PEN 30.71

$22.95 MX$403

-60.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 PEN 90.6

$30.11 MX$528

-11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 PEN 97.3

$52.0 MX$912

-44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 PEN 67.1

$18.53 MX$325

6.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 PEN 15.20

$4.98 MX$87.3

-10.04%

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

$131 PEN 444

$197 MX$3,463

-33.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-22.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 PEN 166

$35.60 MX$624

37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.49 PEN 93.3

$40.33 MX$707

-31.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PEN 254

$78.8 MX$1,381

-4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 PEN 264

$88.9 MX$1,560

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 PEN 689

$947 MX$16.6K

-78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.1 PEN 329

$474 MX$8,314

-79.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 PEN 1,685

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-69.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 PEN 999

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-75.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 PEN 8,000

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-41.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 PEN 2,390

$654 MX$11.5K

7.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.42

-8.06%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Cajamarca and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Cajamarca vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $249 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $203 in Cajamarca versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 219% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $131 in Cajamarca versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Playa del Carmen 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 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.