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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $706 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,178 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,649 in Cajamarca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 133% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Cajamarca is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.47 PEN 11.66

248.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$30.10 PEN 101

73.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.04 PEN 20.32

80.46%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.74 PEN 9.22

47.81%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.82 PEN 2.76

109.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.61 PEN 2.04

126.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.40 PEN 8.08

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.51 PEN 11.80

65.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.38 PEN 4.64

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$3.22 PEN 10.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.30 PEN 4.36

60.77%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.23 PEN 7.50

30.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.80 PEN 26.24

60.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.35 PEN 21.34

59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$12.95 PEN 43.55

22.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.13 PEN 3.79

192.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$0.78 PEN 2.64

173.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.29 PEN 4.33

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.11 PEN 3.74

120.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$0.75 PEN 2.52

192.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.04 PEN 3.50

82.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.76 PEN 2.55

113.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.76 PEN 2.57

77.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$8.76 PEN 29.46

-38.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$10.28 PEN 34.56

71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.61 PEN 8.78

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.51 PEN 8.43

89.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.60 PEN 2.02

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$8.74 PEN 29.38

146.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.82 PEN 6.13

12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.33 PEN 4.48

-56.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.32 PEN 17.88

12.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.53 PEN 5.13

5.88%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$24.2K PEN 81.4K

-5.74%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$25.8K PEN 86.8K

3.35%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$49.37 PEN 166

32.15%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$9.79 PEN 32.94

205.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$29.16 PEN 98.1

25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$30.10 PEN 101

102.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$21.17 PEN 71.2

26.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.76 PEN 16.02

43.91%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$137 PEN 461

230.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$4,411 PEN 14.8K

203.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$52.8 PEN 177

42.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$29.83 PEN 100

85.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$81.1 PEN 273

40.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$81.5 PEN 274

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$206 PEN 691

451.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$105 PEN 354

576.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$542 PEN 1,822

374.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$313 PEN 1,053

318.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,339 PEN 7,866

70.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$740 PEN 2,487

41.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.5

7.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $206 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $230 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 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City 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 147% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City 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 $1,646 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 133% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.