Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pucallpa and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $502 a month against $712 in Cajamarca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$502

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pucallpa 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 Pucallpa and in Cajamarca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Pucallpa versus $712 in Cajamarca.

Pucallpa $502
Cajamarca $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Pucallpa versus $1,196 in Cajamarca.

Pucallpa $826
Cajamarca $1,196

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,149 in Pucallpa versus $1,680 in Cajamarca.

Pucallpa $1,149
Cajamarca $1,680

Living in Pucallpa costs roughly 29% less than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pucallpa 63% lower, Cajamarca 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 PEN 7.92

$3.11 PEN 10.73

-26.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.70 PEN 40.31

$29.13 PEN 100

-59.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 PEN 18.34

$5.82 PEN 20.07

-8.59%

Cappuccino

$1.99 PEN 6.87

$2.86 PEN 9.86

-30.42%

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

$1.03 PEN 3.56

$0.71 PEN 2.44

45.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.61 PEN 2.09

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.15

$2.55 PEN 8.79

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 PEN 7.90

$3.49 PEN 12.03

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 PEN 3.62

$1.37 PEN 4.71

-23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 PEN 12.24

$3.19 PEN 10.99

11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$1.26 PEN 4.35

-10.32%

Eggs

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$2.29 PEN 7.90

-25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.06 PEN 7.11

$7.10 PEN 24.47

-70.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 PEN 13.75

$7.87 PEN 27.13

-49.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.42 PEN 11.78

$16.03 PEN 55.3

-78.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 PEN 7.81

$0.89 PEN 3.05

155.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 PEN 4.94

$0.91 PEN 3.13

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$1.13 PEN 3.88

31.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 PEN 8.94

$0.83 PEN 2.87

213.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 PEN 10.11

$0.83 PEN 2.86

253.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.83

$0.70 PEN 2.41

182.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 PEN 7.82

$0.83 PEN 2.87

173.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$0.71 PEN 2.45

45.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 PEN 15.90

$7.29 PEN 25.14

-36.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 PEN 26.41

$11.73 PEN 40.43

-34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 PEN 8.03

$2.58 PEN 8.88

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PEN 12.28

$2.54 PEN 8.75

40.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 PEN 3.91

$0.60 PEN 2.08

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.85 PEN 30.50

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 PEN 4.95

$2.55 PEN 8.79

-43.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 PEN 1.94

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-67.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 PEN 20.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.41 PEN 4.86

-9.93%

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

$22.9K PEN 79.0K

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

$29.1K PEN 100.2K

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

$51.2 PEN 176

$58.4 PEN 201

-12.33%

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

$34.95 PEN 120

$9.25 PEN 31.88

277.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.29 PEN 153

$20.07 PEN 69.2

120.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.83 PEN 117

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 PEN 59.1

Cinema Ticket

$3.79 PEN 13.06

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

$147 PEN 507

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 PEN 14.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 PEN 181

$43.83 PEN 151

19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 PEN 119

$29.18 PEN 101

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.53 PEN 119

$72.8 PEN 251

-52.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 PEN 233

$71.3 PEN 246

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PEN 393

$193 PEN 664

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 404

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 PEN 807

$520 PEN 1,793

-54.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 PEN 428

$324 PEN 1,118

-61.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$407 PEN 1,403

$549 PEN 1,890

-25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Pucallpa: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Accommodation & Living

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$117 16.5%

Eating Out

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$102 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$98 13.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$88 12.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$41 5.8%

Getting Around

Pucallpa

–

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $114 in Pucallpa and $193 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 35% 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: $12 in Pucallpa vs $29 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $244 per month, with Pucallpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Pucallpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,040

218,741

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Pucallpa Cajamarca 460 km

From you

Pucallpa
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

Pucallpa vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Pucallpa. 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: $114 in Pucallpa versus $193 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Cajamarca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $29 in Cajamarca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Pucallpa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Cajamarca on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.