Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in San Jose

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Cajamarca $695
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Cajamarca versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Cajamarca $1,177
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,658 in Cajamarca versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Cajamarca $1,658
San Jose $3,857

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 64% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 48% below, San Jose is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 PEN 12.25

$12.22 ₡5,510

-70.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.96 PEN 99.3

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-51.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 PEN 20.39

$11.77 ₡5,305

-49.45%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PEN 9.05

$4.30 ₡1,939

-38.60%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$2.72 ₡1,226

-70.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.84 ₡830

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 PEN 7.89

$3.28 ₡1,480

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 PEN 12.46

$4.36 ₡1,966

-16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.75

$2.38 ₡1,074

-42.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 PEN 11.21

$3.12 ₡1,408

4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.42

$2.41 ₡1,086

-46.47%

Eggs

$2.28 PEN 7.82

$3.47 ₡1,564

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 26.00

$10.57 ₡4,767

-28.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 PEN 21.52

$10.56 ₡4,758

-40.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 PEN 44.97

$13.75 ₡6,196

-4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$5.04 ₡2,274

-78.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.68

$1.61 ₡727

-51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.20

$4.59 ₡2,069

-73.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$3.84 ₡1,731

-71.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.52

$3.77 ₡1,700

-80.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.41

$3.76 ₡1,693

-73.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 PEN 2.48

$1.12 ₡506

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$3.20 ₡1,441

-76.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 PEN 30.79

$5.84 ₡2,632

53.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 PEN 34.93

$19.73 ₡8,897

-48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.89

$2.75 ₡1,240

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.41

$3.66 ₡1,650

-33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$1.12 ₡503

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.93 PEN 30.62

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-86.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$2.46 ₡1,110

-28.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 PEN 4.55

$1.54 ₡692

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 PEN 17.31

$8.46 ₡3,815

-40.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.19

$1.55 ₡699

-2.58%

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

$23.7K PEN 81.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

9.34%

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

$25.9K PEN 88.6K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-25.86%

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

$49.76 PEN 171

$94.7 ₡42.7K

-47.44%

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

$9.79 PEN 33.57

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-72.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.01 PEN 99.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-50.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.97 PEN 106

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-57.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.52 PEN 70.3

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-18.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 PEN 16.32

$7.83 ₡3,532

-39.21%

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

$137 PEN 471

$971 ₡437.9K

-85.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 PEN 15.3K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-73.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 PEN 177

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-27.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 PEN 101

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-46.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 PEN 277

$129 ₡58.2K

-37.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 PEN 277

$133 ₡60.0K

-39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 681

$934 ₡420.9K

-78.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 PEN 353

$770 ₡347.2K

-86.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 PEN 1,806

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-72.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 PEN 1,085

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-75.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,338 PEN 8,015

$2,277 ₡1.0M

2.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$727 PEN 2,491

$1,006 ₡453.5K

-27.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

8.62

21.81%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$229 33.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 74.3% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$109 15.8%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 60% $66

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$103 14.9%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 648% $667

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$103 14.8%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 122% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$89 12.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 113% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 117% $47

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$20 2.8%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 307% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 38% 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 $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $399 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca San Jose 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
San Jose

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 San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in San Jose. 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 $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 629% less than in San Jose. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $137 in Cajamarca versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in San Jose. 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 San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and San Jose 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 180% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.