---
title: "Living in Cajamarca as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cajamarca
description: "Andean valley town where Pizarro captured the Inca Atahualpa"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cajamarca, Peru

Cajamarca scores 53.8/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1088 of 1501 cities. Expect about $1,350 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 17.2 Mbps.

Cajamarca is a colonial town at about 2,750 m in Peru's northern Andes, where Pizarro captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1532. It has a stone-built centre, Inca hot springs a short ride out, a famous February carnival and a dairy economy, along with the large Yanacocha gold mine. Costs are very low, but internet and services are basic, Spanish is essential and the rainy season runs from November to April.

Known for: Inca Ransom Room, Baños del Inca hot springs, Carnival and dairy cheeses, Gold mining tensions.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 53.8 |
| Cost of living | 60 |
| Safety | 44 |
| Healthcare | 73 |
| Internet | 57 |
| Visa ease | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 20 |
| Climate | 17 |
| Air quality | 82 |
| Quality of life | 57 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,350 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 8.6 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.9 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 17.2 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 13.4 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-10-13 | [^10] |
| Visa guide | [Peru long-stay visa guide](https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/peru) | country | 2026-10-13 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | 180 days / 90 days / 180 days | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (CJA) | 1 | city | 2026-07 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 53 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 4 / 2 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 2 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 13.3 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.794 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Remote work done in Peru is taxable from day one; residents pay 8%–30% on worldwide income.** Work you physically do in Peru is Peruvian-source income even when the employer or client is abroad: 30% flat while you are non-resident, 8%–30% progressive once you are resident. A foreigner becomes resident after more than 183 days in any 12 months, from the following 1 January, and is then taxed on worldwide income. Foreign dividends, interest, gains, rent and pensions join the 8%–30% scale. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (30% flat while non-resident; 8%–30% progressive once resident (2026: 30% above S/ 247,500)) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | taxed (8%–30% progressive on foreign-source income once resident; not taxed before then) |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; no inheritance tax |
| Tax resident after | 183 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 30% |

Residency: A foreigner becomes domiciled (tax resident) after living or staying in Peru more than 183 calendar days in any 12-month period (income tax law, article 7(b)). Status is judged at the start of each tax year and a change during the year only takes effect from the next 1 January (article 8), so someone who passes 183 days in 2026 is resident for 2027, not for 2026. You lose resident status when you acquire residence in another country and leave Peru, or otherwise once you are away more than 183 days in a 12-month period. The tourist stay is capped at 183 days in the 365 from first entry, which usually keeps tourists non-resident, but back-to-back stays or a residence permit such as rentista can take you over the line.

Remote work: Under article 9(f) of the income tax law, income from personal work carried out in Peru is Peruvian-source whatever the nationality or domicile of the parties or where the contract is signed or paid. So a salary from a foreign employer or fees from foreign clients earned while you sit in Peru are taxable even in your first months. Non-residents pay 30% on Peruvian-source work income (article 54), normally withheld by a Peruvian payer; a foreign employer or client does not withhold, which leaves tourists in a grey zone, and the tourist status itself does not allow paid work. On paper, a foreigner who earned Peruvian-source income must also hand migration a certificate of income and withholdings when leaving (article 13). Once resident, work income is taxed on the progressive scale of 8% up to 5 UIT, 14% to 20 UIT, 17% to 35 UIT, 20% to 45 UIT and 30% above (article 53; the UIT is S/ 5,500 in 2026), after an annual allowance of 7 UIT (S/ 38,500) plus up to 3 UIT of listed expenses (article 46). Freelancers deduct a flat 20% of fees, capped at 24 UIT (article 45), register for a RUC tax number, issue electronic fee receipts and make 8% monthly payments on account unless 2026 income stays under S/ 4,010 a month and S/ 48,125 a year. Peruvian social security (EsSalud health, ONP or AFP pensions) runs through Peruvian payrolls; whether a resident freelancer must contribute was not verified here. Foreign tax paid can be credited, but only up to your average Peruvian rate on that income, and unused credit is lost (article 88(e)). Peru has only nine tax treaties (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom) plus the Andean Community's Decisión 578; there is none with the United States, Germany, France or Spain.

Investments: Non-residents pay tax only on Peruvian-source income, so foreign dividends, interest, capital gains, rent and pensions are untouched until you become resident (article 6). From then on, Peru taxes them, but not at the 5% rates Peruvian investments enjoy: net foreign-source income is added to your work income and taxed on the same 8%–30% scale (articles 51 and 53). Foreign losses cannot be deducted, and the 7 UIT allowance applies only to work income, so someone living purely on foreign investments gets no personal allowance. The exception is shares listed in Lima and sold on a Peruvian exchange, or foreign shares sold through an integrated foreign market (the MILA link with Chile, Mexico and Colombia): those gains are taxed with Peruvian capital income at 6.25%. Peruvian-source capital income of a resident pays 5% on dividends and 6.25% on 80% of rent, interest and gains, effectively 5% (articles 36 and 52-A). Selling the home you live in is not a taxable gain (article 2). Foreign tax is credited only up to the average Peruvian rate on that income (article 88(e)).

On the nomad visa: Peru has no working nomad visa. Decreto Legislativo 1582 of 14 November 2023 added a 'nómada digital' status to the migration law for people employed remotely by a company based outside Peru, for up to 365 days, extendable, provided they carry out no paid activity that generates Peruvian-source income. It is a migration rule with no tax provision: it does not change article 9(f) of the income tax law, which still treats work done in Peru as Peruvian-source, and Migraciones' 2023 statement that such nomads earn no Peruvian-source income is not a tax ruling. The status was never regulated, and none of Migraciones' 71 listed procedures covers it. Remote workers use the tourist stay of up to 183 days a year; staying longer on a residence permit makes you resident under the ordinary 183-day test.

Official sources: [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Capítulo II (artículos 6 a 13)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/renta/ley/capii.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Capítulo I (artículos 1 a 4)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/renta/ley/capi.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Capítulo VI (renta neta)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/renta/ley/capvi.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Capítulo VII (tasas)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/renta/ley/capvii.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley del Impuesto a la Renta, Capítulo XI (declaración, créditos)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/renta/ley/capxi.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Renta de fuente extranjera](https://www.gob.pe/7985-renta-de-fuente-extranjera) (SUNAT, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Tributación de personas no domiciliadas](https://www.gob.pe/8004-tributacion-de-personas-no-domiciliadas) (SUNAT, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Suspensión de retenciones y pagos a cuenta de renta de cuarta categoría](https://www.gob.pe/1156-suspension-de-retenciones-y-pagos-a-cuenta-de-renta-de-cuarta-categoria) (SUNAT, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [MEF establece en S/ 5500 el valor de la UIT para el año 2026](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/mef/noticias/1314665-mef-establece-en-s-5500-el-valor-de-la-uit-para-el-ano-2026) (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Decreto Legislativo N° 1582, que modifica el Decreto Legislativo N° 1350, Decreto Legislativo de Migraciones](https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/dispositivo/NL/2234429-1) (Diario Oficial El Peruano, read 2026-10-27); [Nueva calidad migratoria 'nómada digital' facilitará a extranjeros teletrabajar desde el Perú](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/migraciones/noticias/868954-nueva-calidad-migratoria-nomada-digital-facilitara-a-extranjeros-teletrabajar-desde-el-peru) (Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Trámites y servicios de la Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/migraciones/tramites-y-servicios) (Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Texto Único Ordenado de la Ley de Tributación Municipal (Decreto Supremo N° 156-2004-EF)](https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/2499964/DS%20N%C2%B0%20156-2004-EF%20-%20Texto%20%C3%9Anico%20Ordenado%20de%20la%20Ley%20de%20Tributaci%C3%B3n%20Municipal.pdf) (gob.pe, read 2026-10-27); [Tributos que administra la SUNAT](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/institucional/quienessomos/tributosadministra.html) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Guía del Procedimiento de Acuerdo Mutuo, versión 2.0 (2026)](https://nodomiciliados.sunat.gob.pe/sites/default/files/inline-files/Gu%C3%ADa%20del%20Procedimiento%20de%20Acuerdo%20Mutuo%20%E2%80%93%20Versi%C3%B3n%202.0%20(2026)%20%E2%80%93%20Espa%C3%B1ol.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27); [Informe N.° 000049-2024-SUNAT/7T0000 (Decisión 578 de la Comunidad Andina)](https://www.sunat.gob.pe/legislacion/oficios/2024/informe-oficios/i000049-2024-7T0000.pdf) (SUNAT, read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 14.3 | 58 | 74 | no |
| Feb | 14.3 | 49 | 76 | no |
| Mar | 14.1 | 78 | 78 | no |
| Apr | 14.2 | 54 | 76 | no |
| May | 14.4 | 20 | 72 | no |
| Jun | 13.9 | 6 | 67 | no |
| Jul | 14 | 7 | 64 | no |
| Aug | 14.8 | 3 | 60 | no |
| Sep | 15.3 | 11 | 61 | yes |
| Oct | 15 | 39 | 65 | yes |
| Nov | 14.6 | 47 | 67 | no |
| Dec | 14.3 | 43 | 72 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mayor General FAP Armando Revoredo Iglesias Airport | CJA | 1 | 0 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 1, of which 0 international (Wikipedia, 2026-07).

## Similar cities

- [Arequipa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/arequipa) (52.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-cajamarca)
- [Belém](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/belem) (52.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/belem-vs-cajamarca)
- [Puno](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/puno) (52.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cajamarca-vs-puno)
- [Cusco](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cusco) (51.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cajamarca-vs-cusco)
- [Huaraz](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/huaraz) (52.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cajamarca-vs-huaraz)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Cajamarca as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $1,350 per month in Cajamarca (a country-level estimate for Peru). That is a 60/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Cajamarca safe for digital nomads?

Cajamarca scores 44/100 on safety. Peru records 8.6 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 56.9/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Peru have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Peru as of 2026-10-13. Visitors from the US can stay 180 days visa-free. The long-stay routes that do exist are in the Peru visa guide: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/peru

### How fast is the internet in Cajamarca?

Measured median download speed in Cajamarca was 17.2 Mbps (upload 13.4 Mbps) across 5,870 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Cajamarca?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Peru (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Cajamarca. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Cajamarca and how many nonstop flights are there?

Cajamarca is served by Mayor General FAP Armando Revoredo Iglesias Airport (CJA) with 1 nonstop destinations, of which 0 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-07.

### When is the best time of year to be in Cajamarca?

The most comfortable months are Sep, Oct. Mean temperatures range from 57°F (14°C) in Jun to 60°F (15°C) in Sep (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Cajamarca or Arequipa: which is better for digital nomads?

Arequipa is the city with the closest factor profile to Cajamarca in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Cajamarca](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=cajamarca&destination=Cajamarca%2C+Peru) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Nostos long-stay visa guides, Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/visas (retrieved 2026-10-04)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cajamarca