Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $502 a month against $712 in Cajamarca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$712

/mo nomad

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Pucallpa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Cajamarca versus $502 in Pucallpa.

Cajamarca $712
Pucallpa $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,196 in Cajamarca versus $826 in Pucallpa.

Cajamarca $1,196
Pucallpa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,680 in Cajamarca versus $1,149 in Pucallpa.

Cajamarca $1,680
Pucallpa $1,149

Living in Cajamarca is roughly 42% more expensive than in Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 47% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 PEN 10.73

$2.30 PEN 7.92

35.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.13 PEN 100

$11.70 PEN 40.31

148.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 PEN 20.07

$5.32 PEN 18.34

9.40%

Cappuccino

$2.86 PEN 9.86

$1.99 PEN 6.87

43.72%

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

$0.71 PEN 2.44

$1.03 PEN 3.56

-31.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$0.28 PEN 0.95

117.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 PEN 8.79

$1.78 PEN 6.15

43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 12.03

$2.29 PEN 7.90

52.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$1.05 PEN 3.62

30.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 PEN 10.99

$3.55 PEN 12.24

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.35

$1.13 PEN 3.89

11.50%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.90

$1.71 PEN 5.89

33.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 PEN 24.47

$2.06 PEN 7.11

244.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 PEN 27.13

$3.99 PEN 13.75

97.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 PEN 55.3

$3.42 PEN 11.78

368.71%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

$2.27 PEN 7.81

-60.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.13

$1.43 PEN 4.94

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$1.49 PEN 5.14

-24.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$2.60 PEN 8.94

-68.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.86

$2.93 PEN 10.11

-71.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 PEN 2.41

$1.98 PEN 6.83

-64.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$2.27 PEN 7.82

-63.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.45

$1.03 PEN 3.55

-31.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 PEN 25.14

$4.61 PEN 15.90

58.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 PEN 40.43

$7.66 PEN 26.41

53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$2.33 PEN 8.03

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 PEN 8.75

$3.56 PEN 12.28

-28.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.08

$1.14 PEN 3.91

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.85 PEN 30.50

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PEN 8.79

$1.44 PEN 4.95

77.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$0.56 PEN 1.94

207.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 PEN 20.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

$1.27 PEN 4.36

11.02%

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

$22.9K PEN 79.0K

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

$29.1K PEN 100.2K

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

$58.4 PEN 201

$51.2 PEN 176

14.06%

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

$9.25 PEN 31.88

$34.95 PEN 120

-73.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.07 PEN 69.2

$44.29 PEN 153

-54.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.83 PEN 117

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 PEN 59.1

Cinema Ticket

$3.79 PEN 13.06

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

$147 PEN 507

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 PEN 14.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 PEN 151

$52.5 PEN 181

-16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 PEN 101

$34.57 PEN 119

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 PEN 251

$34.53 PEN 119

110.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 PEN 246

$67.5 PEN 233

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 PEN 664

$114 PEN 393

69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 404

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 PEN 1,793

$234 PEN 807

122.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 PEN 1,118

$124 PEN 428

161.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$549 PEN 1,890

$407 PEN 1,403

34.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 31, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Pucallpa

–

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$117 16.5%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.3%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$98 13.7%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$88 12.3%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$41 5.8%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Pucallpa

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Cajamarca and $114 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 35% 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 in Cajamarca vs $12 in Pucallpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $201 per month, with Pucallpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

Same time as Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

326,040

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cajamarca Pucallpa 460 km

From you

Cajamarca
Pucallpa

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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $193 in Cajamarca versus $114 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Cajamarca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $29 in Cajamarca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Pucallpa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Cajamarca on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.