Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,101 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,552 in Cajamarca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 124% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cajamarca is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.13 PEN 10.62

317.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$27.42 PEN 93.0

96.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.71 PEN 19.36

69.53%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.82 PEN 9.56

32.62%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.81 PEN 2.74

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.59 PEN 1.99

96.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.16 PEN 7.34

49.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.30 PEN 11.21

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.25 PEN 4.22

32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$3.01 PEN 10.20

-8.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.09 PEN 3.70

71.56%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.17 PEN 7.36

15.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.16 PEN 20.89

65.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$5.96 PEN 20.22

38.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$12.10 PEN 41.05

-2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.00 PEN 3.38

201.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$0.69 PEN 2.35

162.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$0.90 PEN 3.05

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.05 PEN 3.56

90.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.69 PEN 2.34

201.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.95 PEN 3.22

138.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.62 PEN 2.10

135.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.71 PEN 2.39

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$8.10 PEN 27.48

-46.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$10.31 PEN 34.97

64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.42 PEN 8.22

-28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.39 PEN 8.12

49.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.55 PEN 1.86

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$8.17 PEN 27.71

128.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.71 PEN 5.80

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.21 PEN 4.09

-76.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$4.99 PEN 16.92

5.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.51 PEN 5.11

-11.26%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

-13.83%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

-3.85%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$46.02 PEN 156

-11.58%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$9.05 PEN 30.71

196.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$26.71 PEN 90.6

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$28.68 PEN 97.3

84.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$19.78 PEN 67.1

34.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.48 PEN 15.20

45.31%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$131 PEN 444

227.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

153.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$48.83 PEN 166

17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$27.49 PEN 93.3

65.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$74.9 PEN 254

38.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$77.7 PEN 264

38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$203 PEN 689

393.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$97.1 PEN 329

541.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$497 PEN 1,685

324.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$294 PEN 999

313.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,358 PEN 8,000

64.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$704 PEN 2,390

47.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.5

8.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $203 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 47% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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

Mexico City vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City 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 129% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City 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 $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City 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 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.