Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $712 in Cajamarca, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. The total is higher in Cajamarca despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquitos and in Cajamarca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iquitos and in Cajamarca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Iquitos versus $712 in Cajamarca.

Iquitos $656
Cajamarca $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Iquitos versus $1,196 in Cajamarca.

Iquitos $1,177
Cajamarca $1,196

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,697 in Iquitos versus $1,680 in Cajamarca.

Iquitos $1,697
Cajamarca $1,680

Living in Iquitos costs roughly 8% less than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iquitos 52% lower, Cajamarca 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 PEN 14.58

$3.11 PEN 10.73

36.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.33 PEN 129

$29.13 PEN 100

28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.38

$5.82 PEN 20.07

21.48%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.77

$2.86 PEN 9.86

19.23%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.85

$0.71 PEN 2.44

16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$0.61 PEN 2.09

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 PEN 10.08

$2.55 PEN 8.79

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 PEN 24.78

$3.49 PEN 12.03

106.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$1.37 PEN 4.71

23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PEN 7.79

$3.19 PEN 10.99

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.35

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.96

$2.29 PEN 7.90

13.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 PEN 24.47

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 PEN 11.05

$7.87 PEN 27.13

-59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 PEN 55.3

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.13

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 PEN 2.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.15

$0.71 PEN 2.45

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 PEN 25.14

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 PEN 40.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 PEN 8.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.85 PEN 30.50

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PEN 8.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 PEN 20.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

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)

$35.08 PEN 121

$58.4 PEN 201

-39.93%

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

$11.15 PEN 38.42

$9.25 PEN 31.88

20.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 PEN 29.59

$20.07 PEN 69.2

-57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 PEN 102

$33.83 PEN 117

-12.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.64

$17.15 PEN 59.1

-48.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 PEN 19.40

$3.79 PEN 13.06

48.55%

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

$147 PEN 507

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,513

$4,336 PEN 14.9K

-36.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 PEN 301

$43.83 PEN 151

99.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 PEN 118

$29.18 PEN 101

17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 PEN 180

$72.8 PEN 251

-28.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.33 PEN 90.7

$71.3 PEN 246

-63.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,197

$193 PEN 664

80.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 PEN 904

$117 PEN 404

123.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 PEN 2,957

$520 PEN 1,793

64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 PEN 2,474

$324 PEN 1,118

121.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 PEN 1,997

$549 PEN 1,890

5.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$117 16.5%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$102 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$98 13.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$88 12.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$41 5.8%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $347 in Iquitos and $193 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquitos pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Iquitos vs $29 in Cajamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $77 vs $244, with Iquitos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

Same time as Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

218,741

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Iquitos Cajamarca 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
Cajamarca

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

Iquitos vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquitos is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Iquitos, 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: $347 in Iquitos versus $193 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 218% higher in Cajamarca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cajamarca – a meal for two runs $29 versus $37 in Iquitos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Iquitos gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.