Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $691 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,181 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Cajamarca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cajamarca 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.63 PEN 12.16

28.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.68 PEN 99.5

8.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.82 PEN 19.52

49.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.64 PEN 8.86

9.85%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.81 PEN 2.72

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.57 PEN 1.92

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.41 PEN 8.08

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.48 PEN 11.66

7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.35 PEN 4.52

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.24 PEN 10.87

-56.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.25 PEN 4.19

29.60%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.20 PEN 7.37

1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.84 PEN 26.28

153.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.30 PEN 21.10

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$13.12 PEN 43.96

-13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.07 PEN 3.59

171.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.74 PEN 2.48

132.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.22 PEN 4.08

86.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.08 PEN 3.62

97.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.74 PEN 2.47

98.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.01 PEN 3.39

40.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.72 PEN 2.40

52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.77 PEN 2.59

-22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$8.67 PEN 29.05

-50.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.54 PEN 35.34

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.67 PEN 8.94

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.57 PEN 8.61

15.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.56 PEN 1.88

301.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$8.65 PEN 29.00

171.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.83 PEN 6.12

69.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.39 PEN 4.65

-22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.18 PEN 17.35

-25.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.60 PEN 5.35

-10.63%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.3K PEN 78.1K

19.23%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.5K PEN 88.8K

1.91%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$49.21 PEN 165

112.96%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.41 PEN 31.54

21.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$28.56 PEN 95.7

-38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.55 PEN 102

77.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$21.07 PEN 70.6

-45.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.79 PEN 16.06

62.42%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$138 PEN 463

317.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,393 PEN 14.7K

163.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$51.6 PEN 173

23.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.19 PEN 97.9

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$81.3 PEN 273

18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$80.2 PEN 269

12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$205 PEN 687

257.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$103 PEN 346

385.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$532 PEN 1,783

299.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$320 PEN 1,074

290.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,356 PEN 7,897

50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$740 PEN 2,480

-31.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $205 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 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

Phuket vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $205 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 172% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $138 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $691 in Cajamarca versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.