---
title: "Arequipa vs Cajamarca for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-cajamarca
description: "Under balanced weights Cajamarca edges it, 54 to 52, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Arequipa is stronger on nothing outright; Cajamarca on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Arequipa vs Cajamarca for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Cajamarca edges it, 54 to 52, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Arequipa is stronger on nothing outright; Cajamarca on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Cajamarca leads on climate, 17 to 0, against Arequipa. Comfortable months: 0 vs 2.

Where they are close: within five points on internet, air quality, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Arequipa if you want** faster internet (20.1 Mbps measured).

**Pick Cajamarca if you want** a longer comfortable season (2 months against 0).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 60 | 60 | tie |
| Safety | 44 | 44 | tie |
| Healthcare | 73 | 73 | tie |
| Internet | 59 | 57 | Arequipa |
| Visa ease | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 20 | Arequipa |
| Climate | 0 | 17 | Cajamarca |
| Air quality | 82 | 82 | Arequipa |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,350 | $1,350 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 8.6 | 8.6 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.9 | 56.9 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | 68 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 78.4 yrs | 78.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 20.1 Mbps | 17.2 Mbps | Arequipa |
| Upload | 12.8 Mbps | 13.4 Mbps | Cajamarca |

## Visa

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 1 | Arequipa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Arequipa | Cajamarca | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 2 | Cajamarca |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | Arequipa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Arequipa or Cajamarca?

Arequipa and Cajamarca cost about the same: roughly $1,350 per month for one person.

### Is Arequipa or Cajamarca safer?

Arequipa and Cajamarca score the same on safety (44), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Arequipa or Cajamarca?

Arequipa: a measured median of 20.1 Mbps versus 17.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Arequipa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/arequipa) · [Cajamarca](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cajamarca). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-cajamarca