Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cajamarca $695
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Cajamarca versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cajamarca $1,177
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,658 in Cajamarca versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cajamarca $1,658
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 46% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 48% lower, Rio de Janeiro 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PEN 12.25

$9.98 R$49.83

-64.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.96 PEN 99.3

$40.34 R$201

-28.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 PEN 20.39

$8.48 R$42.35

-29.83%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PEN 9.05

$2.36 R$11.80

11.86%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$1.63 R$8.13

-51.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.01 R$5.06

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 PEN 7.89

$2.44 R$12.19

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 PEN 12.46

$3.69 R$18.43

-1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.75

$1.15 R$5.72

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 PEN 11.21

$2.07 R$10.34

57.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.42

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.28 PEN 7.82

$2.27 R$11.32

0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 26.00

$11.00 R$54.9

-31.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 PEN 21.52

$4.31 R$21.51

45.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 PEN 44.97

$9.74 R$48.63

34.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$2.83 R$14.12

-62.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.68

$1.84 R$9.17

-57.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.20

$1.60 R$7.96

-23.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$1.80 R$9.00

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.52

$1.26 R$6.28

-41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.41

$1.07 R$5.34

-6.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 PEN 2.48

$0.75 R$3.75

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$0.66 R$3.29

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 PEN 30.79

$3.05 R$15.21

194.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 PEN 34.93

$8.18 R$40.84

24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.89

$1.19 R$5.92

117.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.41

$2.39 R$11.92

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$1.01 R$5.06

-44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.93 PEN 30.62

$50.2 R$250

-82.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$1.27 R$6.33

38.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 PEN 4.55

$0.90 R$4.51

47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 PEN 17.31

$9.44 R$47.13

-46.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.19

$1.33 R$6.65

13.53%

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

$23.7K PEN 81.3K

$23.4K R$117.0K

1.27%

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

$25.9K PEN 88.6K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-22.99%

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

$49.76 PEN 171

$134 R$666

-62.73%

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

$9.79 PEN 33.57

$12.23 R$61.0

-19.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.01 PEN 99.5

$22.65 R$113

28.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.97 PEN 106

$31.56 R$158

-1.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.52 PEN 70.3

$30.87 R$154

-33.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 PEN 16.32

$8.23 R$41.07

-42.16%

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

$137 PEN 471

$603 R$3,011

-77.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 PEN 15.3K

$13.2K R$66.1K

-66.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 PEN 177

$41.62 R$208

24.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 PEN 101

$49.94 R$249

-41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 PEN 277

$75.0 R$375

7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 PEN 277

$68.3 R$341

18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 681

$905 R$4,519

-78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 PEN 353

$527 R$2,633

-80.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 PEN 1,806

$1,346 R$6,720

-60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 PEN 1,085

$774 R$3,865

-59.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,338 PEN 8,015

$3,981 R$19.9K

-41.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$727 PEN 2,491

$643 R$3,210

13.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.93

-11.99%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$229 33.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 6.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$109 15.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 3.2% $3.6

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$103 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 412% $425

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$103 14.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 59.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$89 12.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 90.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 18.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$20 2.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 207% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $215, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

2 h ahead of Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca Rio de Janeiro 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 85% 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 $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 462% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $137 in Cajamarca versus $603 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. 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 Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Rio de Janeiro 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 85% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.