Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $1,607 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Cajamarca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Cajamarca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $695 in Cajamarca.

Monterrey $1,607
Cajamarca $695

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $1,177 in Cajamarca.

Monterrey $2,512
Cajamarca $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $1,658 in Cajamarca.

Monterrey $3,417
Cajamarca $1,658

Living in Monterrey is roughly 131% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Cajamarca is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$250

$3.57 PEN 12.30

285.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$913

$28.96 PEN 99.6

73.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$203

$5.95 PEN 20.46

87.06%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$73.5

$2.64 PEN 9.08

53.03%

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

$1.70 MX$31.00

$0.79 PEN 2.72

115.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.00

$0.62 PEN 2.12

59.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$43.80

$2.30 PEN 7.92

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$81.6

$3.64 PEN 12.50

23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$34.98

$1.38 PEN 4.76

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$52.6

$3.27 PEN 11.25

-11.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.34

$1.29 PEN 4.44

50.39%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.47

$2.28 PEN 7.85

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$224

$7.58 PEN 26.09

62.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$170

$6.28 PEN 21.60

48.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$238

$13.12 PEN 45.12

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$61.5

$1.06 PEN 3.66

218.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.75

$0.78 PEN 2.69

102.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.07

$1.23 PEN 4.22

78.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.48

$1.08 PEN 3.71

126.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.09

$0.74 PEN 2.53

205.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$49.89

$1.00 PEN 3.42

174.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$27.83

$0.72 PEN 2.48

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$22.94

$0.75 PEN 2.57

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.1

$8.98 PEN 30.89

-46.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$247

$10.19 PEN 35.05

33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$34.69

$2.59 PEN 8.92

-26.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$55.8

$2.45 PEN 8.44

24.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.47

$0.56 PEN 1.93

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$578

$8.93 PEN 30.72

255.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.50

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$19.99

$1.33 PEN 4.56

-17.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$199

$5.05 PEN 17.37

117.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.68

$1.51 PEN 5.21

0.66%

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

$21.4K MX$388.7K

$23.7K PEN 81.6K

-9.94%

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

$25.5K MX$463.3K

$25.9K PEN 88.9K

-1.50%

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

$120 MX$2,178

$49.76 PEN 171

140.59%

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

$27.08 MX$493

$9.79 PEN 33.68

176.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$486

$29.01 PEN 99.8

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$567

$30.97 PEN 107

0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$399

$20.52 PEN 70.6

6.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$93.5

$4.76 PEN 16.37

7.98%

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

$688 MX$12.5K

$137 PEN 472

400.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$207.9K

$4,463 PEN 15.4K

156.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,308

$51.7 PEN 178

39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$788

$29.33 PEN 101

47.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,040

$80.8 PEN 278

38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,216

$80.9 PEN 278

50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.4K

$199 PEN 683

382.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.2K

$103 PEN 354

551.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.3K

$527 PEN 1,812

258.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$23.7K

$317 PEN 1,089

312.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$75.7K

$2,338 PEN 8,043

77.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.6K

$727 PEN 2,500

55.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

10.5

12.29%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Cajamarca

$103 14.9% 84.6% $567

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Cajamarca

$229 33.1% 26.7% $84

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Cajamarca

$103 14.8% 54.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Cajamarca

$89 12.8% 49% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Cajamarca

$109 15.8% 30.5% $48

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Cajamarca

$20 2.8% 53.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Cajamarca

$40 5.9% 2.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $199 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 56% 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: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $29.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $229 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

218,741

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Cajamarca 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Cajamarca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Monterrey vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Monterrey, 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: $957 in Monterrey versus $199 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 256% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Monterrey versus $137 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Cajamarca versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monterrey 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 131% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.