Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $695 in Cajamarca.

San Jose $1,949
Cajamarca $695

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $1,177 in Cajamarca.

San Jose $2,903
Cajamarca $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $1,658 in Cajamarca.

San Jose $3,857
Cajamarca $1,658

Living in San Jose is roughly 180% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 45% above, Cajamarca is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$3.57 PEN 12.25

242.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$28.96 PEN 99.3

107.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$5.95 PEN 20.39

97.82%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$2.64 PEN 9.05

62.88%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$0.79 PEN 2.71

244.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$0.62 PEN 2.11

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$2.30 PEN 7.89

42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$3.64 PEN 12.46

19.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.38 PEN 4.75

72.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.27 PEN 11.21

-4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$1.29 PEN 4.42

86.82%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$2.28 PEN 7.82

52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$7.58 PEN 26.00

39.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$6.28 PEN 21.52

68.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$13.12 PEN 44.97

4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$1.06 PEN 3.65

375.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$0.78 PEN 2.68

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$1.23 PEN 4.20

273.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$1.08 PEN 3.70

255.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$0.74 PEN 2.52

409.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$1.00 PEN 3.41

276.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$0.72 PEN 2.48

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$0.75 PEN 2.56

326.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$8.98 PEN 30.79

-34.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$10.19 PEN 34.93

93.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.59 PEN 8.89

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.45 PEN 8.41

49.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.56 PEN 1.93

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$8.93 PEN 30.62

629.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.76 PEN 6.03

39.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.33 PEN 4.55

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$5.05 PEN 17.31

67.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.51 PEN 5.19

2.65%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$23.7K PEN 81.3K

-8.55%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.9K PEN 88.6K

34.88%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$49.76 PEN 171

90.27%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.79 PEN 33.57

258.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$29.01 PEN 99.5

101.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$30.97 PEN 106

133.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$20.52 PEN 70.3

22.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$4.76 PEN 16.32

64.50%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$137 PEN 471

607.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$4,463 PEN 15.3K

280.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$51.7 PEN 177

38.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$29.33 PEN 101

87.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$80.8 PEN 277

59.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$80.9 PEN 277

64.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$199 PEN 681

370.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$103 PEN 353

648.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$527 PEN 1,806

269.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$317 PEN 1,085

315.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$2,338 PEN 8,015

-2.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$727 PEN 2,491

38.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.5

-17.90%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Cajamarca

$103 14.9% 86.6% $667

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Cajamarca

$229 33.1% 42.6% $170

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Cajamarca

$103 14.8% 55% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Cajamarca

$89 12.8% 53% $100

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Cajamarca

$109 15.8% 37.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Cajamarca

$40 5.9% 53.9% $47

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Cajamarca

$20 2.8% 75.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $199 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 38% 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: $60.0 in San Jose vs $29.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $229 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

218,741

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Cajamarca 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
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

San Jose vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in San Jose, 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: $934 in San Jose 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 629% less than in San Jose. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose 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 $1,949 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in San Jose. 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 San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Jose 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 180% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.