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: $985 in Lima versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $1,098 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $1,547 in Cajamarca.

Living in Lima is roughly 52% more expensive than Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 27% lower, Cajamarca 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$3.00 PEN 10.20

37.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$28.12 PEN 95.7

17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$5.85 PEN 19.90

19.66%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$2.93 PEN 9.96

-13.31%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.13

$0.75 PEN 2.56

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.59 PEN 2.00

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$2.18 PEN 7.41

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.07

$3.23 PEN 10.99

18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.24 PEN 4.22

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$3.12 PEN 10.60

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.09 PEN 3.71

19.27%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.06

$2.17 PEN 7.39

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.11

$6.15 PEN 20.93

29.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.30

$5.85 PEN 19.89

-3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.00

$12.02 PEN 40.88

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.87

$0.93 PEN 3.15

117.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.65

$0.75 PEN 2.56

42.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.85

$0.83 PEN 2.83

36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$1.05 PEN 3.58

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.51

$0.68 PEN 2.33

51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$0.94 PEN 3.20

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.62 PEN 2.12

40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.72 PEN 2.45

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$8.23 PEN 28.00

-33.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$10.20 PEN 34.69

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$2.50 PEN 8.52

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.47

$2.35 PEN 7.99

31.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.59 PEN 2.00

13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$8.11 PEN 27.58

277.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$1.64 PEN 5.59

106.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$1.22 PEN 4.14

81.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.96

$4.90 PEN 16.68

67.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.50 PEN 5.12

-10.00%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

-11.35%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

2.06%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$46.05 PEN 157

23.15%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.00

$9.02 PEN 30.68

40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$26.75 PEN 91.0

-10.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$28.61 PEN 97.4

5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$19.22 PEN 65.4

-1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$4.68 PEN 15.92

44.02%

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

$218 PEN 740

$128 PEN 435

70.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

91.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$48.44 PEN 165

3.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$27.69 PEN 94.2

32.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$75.4 PEN 256

18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$77.0 PEN 262

14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,062

$202 PEN 687

200.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,189

$97.3 PEN 331

259.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,524

$502 PEN 1,707

106.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,135

$292 PEN 992

115.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,054

$2,356 PEN 8,017

0.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,880

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$707 PEN 2,407

-11.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

10.5

-3.71%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $202 in Cajamarca. 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: $33.00 in Lima vs $28.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $211 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cajamarca earns 13% less. 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: $606 in Lima versus $202 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 277% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $128 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $985 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 52% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.