Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,101 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,552 in Cajamarca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 94% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cajamarca 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.13 PEN 10.61

283.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$27.42 PEN 92.9

52.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.71 PEN 19.34

88.27%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.82 PEN 9.55

24.11%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.81 PEN 2.74

79.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.59 PEN 1.99

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.16 PEN 7.33

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.30 PEN 11.19

36.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.25 PEN 4.22

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$3.01 PEN 10.19

-38.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.09 PEN 3.70

44.04%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.17 PEN 7.35

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.16 PEN 20.87

34.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.96 PEN 20.19

41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$12.10 PEN 41.00

-11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.00 PEN 3.38

161.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.69 PEN 2.35

108.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.90 PEN 3.05

117.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.05 PEN 3.55

99.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.69 PEN 2.34

168.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.95 PEN 3.21

128.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.62 PEN 2.10

66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.71 PEN 2.39

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$8.10 PEN 27.45

-49.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.31 PEN 34.94

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.42 PEN 8.21

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.39 PEN 8.12

5.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.55 PEN 1.86

-7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$8.17 PEN 27.68

218.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.71 PEN 5.79

88.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.21 PEN 4.09

99.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.99 PEN 16.90

-35.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.51 PEN 5.10

-12.58%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.5K PEN 76.3K

31.82%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$24.8K PEN 84.0K

-4.53%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$46.02 PEN 156

78.21%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.05 PEN 30.68

153.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$26.71 PEN 90.5

12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$28.68 PEN 97.2

81.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.78 PEN 67.0

-6.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.48 PEN 15.19

11.16%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$131 PEN 444

50.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

29.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$48.83 PEN 165

-27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$27.49 PEN 93.2

46.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$74.9 PEN 254

5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$77.7 PEN 263

14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$203 PEN 688

366.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$97.1 PEN 329

388.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$497 PEN 1,683

230.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$294 PEN 998

311.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,358 PEN 7,991

72.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$704 PEN 2,387

-7.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.5

8.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $203 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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

Playa del Carmen 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 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen 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 219% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen 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 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.