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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,098 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,547 in Cajamarca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Cajamarca is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.00 PEN 10.20

339.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$28.12 PEN 95.7

91.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.85 PEN 19.90

61.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.93 PEN 9.96

21.16%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.75 PEN 2.56

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.59 PEN 2.00

88.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.18 PEN 7.41

43.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.23 PEN 10.99

43.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.24 PEN 4.22

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$3.12 PEN 10.60

-12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.09 PEN 3.71

75.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.17 PEN 7.39

17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.15 PEN 20.93

63.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.85 PEN 19.89

38.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.02 PEN 40.88

-3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.93 PEN 3.15

219.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.75 PEN 2.56

141.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.83 PEN 2.83

142.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.05 PEN 3.58

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.68 PEN 2.33

211.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.94 PEN 3.20

141.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.62 PEN 2.12

125.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.72 PEN 2.45

56.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$8.23 PEN 28.00

-48.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.20 PEN 34.69

52.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.50 PEN 8.52

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.35 PEN 7.99

53.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.59 PEN 2.00

-35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$8.11 PEN 27.58

136.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.64 PEN 5.59

-15.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.22 PEN 4.14

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.90 PEN 16.68

11.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.50 PEN 5.12

-13.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

-14.23%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

-2.91%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$46.05 PEN 157

-11.27%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.02 PEN 30.68

197.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$26.75 PEN 91.0

12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$28.61 PEN 97.4

81.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$19.22 PEN 65.4

39.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.68 PEN 15.92

34.62%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$128 PEN 435

241.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

153.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$48.44 PEN 165

16.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$27.69 PEN 94.2

60.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$75.4 PEN 256

36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$77.0 PEN 262

37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$202 PEN 687

406.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$97.3 PEN 331

548.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$502 PEN 1,707

325.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$292 PEN 992

326.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,356 PEN 8,017

65.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$707 PEN 2,407

57.62%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $202 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 58% 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 $28.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 58% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City 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 136% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City 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 $1,467 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 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.