Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $706 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $1,178 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $1,649 in Cajamarca.

Living in Lima is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Cajamarca 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.63

$3.47 PEN 11.66

25.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$30.10 PEN 101

6.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.65

$6.04 PEN 20.32

16.39%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.87

$2.74 PEN 9.22

17.88%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.81

$0.82 PEN 2.76

37.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.61 PEN 2.04

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 9.02

$2.40 PEN 8.08

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.24

$3.51 PEN 11.80

29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$1.38 PEN 4.64

18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.75

$3.22 PEN 10.82

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.51

$1.30 PEN 4.36

3.08%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.27

$2.23 PEN 7.50

36.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.31

$7.80 PEN 26.24

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.93

$6.35 PEN 21.34

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.97

$12.95 PEN 43.55

-24.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.05

$1.13 PEN 3.79

85.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.54

$0.78 PEN 2.64

34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.89

$1.29 PEN 4.33

12.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$1.11 PEN 3.74

35.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.11

$0.75 PEN 2.52

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.17

$1.04 PEN 3.50

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.01

$0.76 PEN 2.55

17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$0.76 PEN 2.57

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.56

$8.76 PEN 29.46

-33.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.35

$10.28 PEN 34.56

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.52

$2.61 PEN 8.78

-25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.85

$2.51 PEN 8.43

28.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.31

$0.60 PEN 2.02

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.5

$8.74 PEN 29.38

211.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.11

$1.82 PEN 6.13

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$1.33 PEN 4.48

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 25.05

$5.32 PEN 17.88

40.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.77

$1.53 PEN 5.13

11.76%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

$24.2K PEN 81.4K

-8.30%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

$25.8K PEN 86.8K

3.60%

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

$71.1 PEN 239

$49.37 PEN 166

43.95%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.9

$9.79 PEN 32.94

72.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 95.2

$29.16 PEN 98.1

-2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 114

$30.10 PEN 101

12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 67.2

$21.17 PEN 71.2

-5.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.30

$4.76 PEN 16.02

51.89%

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

$181 PEN 608

$137 PEN 461

31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

$4,411 PEN 14.8K

204.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 182

$52.8 PEN 177

2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 120

$29.83 PEN 100

19.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 289

$81.1 PEN 273

5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 273

$81.5 PEN 274

-0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,551

$206 PEN 691

269.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,165

$105 PEN 354

229.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,218

$542 PEN 1,822

131.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,172

$313 PEN 1,053

106.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,338

$2,339 PEN 7,866

5.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,249

$740 PEN 2,487

-9.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.5

-14.86%

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $206 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Lima vs $30.00 in Cajamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $230, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lima vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Cajamarca. 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: $759 in Lima versus $206 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 211% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $137 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,016 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Lima. 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 Lima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Cajamarca 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 44% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.