Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alajuela and Lima

For one person, living costs are similar in Alajuela and in Lima: $1,004 and $1,012 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Alajuela
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Alajuela Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Alajuela

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,004

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alajuela and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alajuela and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,004 in Alajuela versus $1,012 in Lima.

Alajuela $1,004
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Alajuela versus $1,589 in Lima.

Alajuela $1,609
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Alajuela versus $2,167 in Lima.

Alajuela $2,214
Lima $2,167

Living in Alajuela costs roughly 1% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alajuela 26% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₡5,480

$4.40 PEN 15.11

177.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.92 ₡19.7K

$35.17 PEN 121

24.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 ₡4,892

$6.89 PEN 23.66

58.06%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,021

$3.26 PEN 11.21

38.04%

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

$2.43 ₡1,092

$1.12 PEN 3.84

116.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡775

$0.62 PEN 2.11

179.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 ₡1,349

$2.65 PEN 9.10

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 ₡1,766

$4.41 PEN 15.16

-10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,086

$1.63 PEN 5.62

48.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₡506

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-55.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₡985

$1.35 PEN 4.65

62.22%

Eggs

$3.55 ₡1,596

$2.90 PEN 9.96

22.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,770

$8.85 PEN 30.40

20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 ₡4,593

$5.98 PEN 20.53

71.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,186

$9.78 PEN 33.62

40.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$2.05 PEN 7.03

10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$1.06 PEN 3.66

52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₡1,018

$1.35 PEN 4.64

68.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 ₡1,768

$1.50 PEN 5.16

162.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₡1,000

$0.88 PEN 3.03

153.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ₡981

$0.92 PEN 3.15

136.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡458

$0.89 PEN 3.07

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₡462

$0.90 PEN 3.11

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 ₡2,402

$5.90 PEN 20.29

-9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,854

$8.52 PEN 29.28

131.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₡638

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₡444

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-69.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 ₡327

$0.68 PEN 2.34

7.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 ₡56.5K

$26.86 PEN 92.3

368.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 ₡819

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-52.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡722

$2.02 PEN 6.94

-20.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₡3,604

$7.11 PEN 24.43

12.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-12.79%

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

$22.0K ₡9.9M

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

-1.41%

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

$27.9K ₡12.5M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

9.51%

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

$79.2 ₡35.6K

$73.1 PEN 251

8.40%

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

$30.88 ₡13.9K

$16.35 PEN 56.2

88.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.6K

$27.47 PEN 94.4

115.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,527

$7.05 PEN 24.24

11.35%

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

$963 ₡432.7K

$182 PEN 627

427.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

30.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

$53.8 PEN 185

32.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 ₡25.2K

$34.32 PEN 118

63.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$82.8 PEN 285

55.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ₡33.1K

$78.2 PEN 269

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₡332.0K

$721 PEN 2,478

2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 ₡639.7K

$1,219 PEN 4,189

16.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,236

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,297

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,125 ₡954.5K

$648 PEN 2,227

227.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.94

-3.58%

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

Last update for Alajuela: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alajuela

$309 30.7%

Lima

$226 22.3% 26.8% $83

Eating Out

Alajuela

$224 22.3%

Lima

$124 12.3% 44.6% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alajuela

$169 16.9%

Lima

$117 11.6% 30.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Alajuela

$148 14.8%

Lima

$112 11.1% 24.4% $36

Getting Around

Alajuela

$139 13.8%

Lima

$43 4.3% 68.6% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Alajuela

$16 * 1.6%

Lima

$46 4.6% 193% $30

Accommodation & Living

Alajuela

- * 0%

Lima

$343 33.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Alajuela and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alajuela pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Alajuela vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Alajuela

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Alajuela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Alajuela Lima 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alajuela
Lima

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

Alajuela vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alajuela is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Alajuela, 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: $739 in Alajuela versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alajuela runs roughly 368% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $963 in Alajuela versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,004 in Alajuela versus $1,012 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alajuela but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Alajuela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alajuela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alajuela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.