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: $999 in Lima versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $1,101 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $1,552 in Cajamarca.

Living in Lima is roughly 54% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Cajamarca 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$3.13 PEN 10.62

29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$27.42 PEN 93.0

23.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$5.71 PEN 19.36

18.04%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$2.82 PEN 9.56

-10.64%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$0.81 PEN 2.74

16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.59 PEN 1.99

10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$2.16 PEN 7.34

0.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$3.30 PEN 11.21

19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.25 PEN 4.22

12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$3.01 PEN 10.20

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.09 PEN 3.70

25.69%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.17 PEN 7.36

35.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$6.16 PEN 20.89

28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$5.96 PEN 20.22

-3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$12.10 PEN 41.05

-11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$1.00 PEN 3.38

98.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$0.69 PEN 2.35

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$0.90 PEN 3.05

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$1.05 PEN 3.56

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$0.69 PEN 2.34

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$0.95 PEN 3.22

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$0.62 PEN 2.10

40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.71 PEN 2.39

21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$8.10 PEN 27.48

-30.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$10.31 PEN 34.97

-12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$2.42 PEN 8.22

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.39 PEN 8.12

28.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.55 PEN 1.86

23.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$8.17 PEN 27.71

287.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$1.71 PEN 5.80

97.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$1.21 PEN 4.09

83.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$4.99 PEN 16.92

65.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.51 PEN 5.11

-10.60%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

-13.87%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

-2.13%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$46.02 PEN 156

22.64%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$9.05 PEN 30.71

38.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$26.71 PEN 90.6

-11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$28.68 PEN 97.3

8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$19.78 PEN 67.1

-5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$4.48 PEN 15.20

52.46%

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

$219 PEN 743

$131 PEN 444

67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

95.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$48.83 PEN 166

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$27.49 PEN 93.3

29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$74.9 PEN 254

19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$77.7 PEN 264

14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$203 PEN 689

206.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$97.1 PEN 329

254.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$497 PEN 1,685

106.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$294 PEN 999

110.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$2,358 PEN 8,000

-1.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$704 PEN 2,390

-11.28%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $203 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: $34.00 in Lima vs $27.00 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $623 in Lima versus $203 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 288% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $131 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $999 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 54% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.