Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $252 in Altos versus $996 in Lima.

Altos $252
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $375 in Altos versus $1,594 in Lima.

Altos $375
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $498 in Altos versus $2,191 in Lima.

Altos $498
Lima $2,191

Living in Altos costs roughly 75% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Altos 81% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 ₲2,783

$1.59 PEN 5.48

-69.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₲4,853

$2.58 PEN 8.89

-67.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₲5,655

$1.36 PEN 4.67

-27.21%

Eggs

$1.89 ₲10.8K

$2.95 PEN 10.14

-35.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 ₲34.8K

$9.10 PEN 31.30

-33.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ₲20.2K

$5.81 PEN 19.98

-39.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 ₲31.0K

$9.83 PEN 33.80

-44.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₲13.4K

$2.01 PEN 6.92

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,275

$1.08 PEN 3.70

17.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₲7,800

$1.37 PEN 4.71

-0.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₲10.6K

$1.48 PEN 5.08

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₲6,690

$0.96 PEN 3.32

21.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,691

$0.85 PEN 2.93

57.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₲6,926

$0.88 PEN 3.03

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₲4,964

$0.87 PEN 2.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 ₲5,487

$5.90 PEN 20.31

-83.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₲45.1K

$8.81 PEN 30.31

-10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,940

$1.92 PEN 6.59

-64.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,406

$3.20 PEN 11.02

-75.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₲2,181

$0.68 PEN 2.33

-44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.91 ₲68.2K

$26.74 PEN 92.0

-55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ₲9,605

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₲4,173

$2.04 PEN 7.02

-64.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₲6,738

$1.65 PEN 5.67

-28.48%

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

$19.0K ₲109.0M

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

-14.10%

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

$23.2K ₲132.8M

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

-9.60%

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

$35.18 ₲201.3K

$73.0 PEN 251

-51.83%

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

$7.84 ₲44.8K

$16.26 PEN 55.9

-51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.12 ₲80.8K

$27.60 PEN 94.9

-48.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 ₲20.0K

$7.39 PEN 25.41

-52.77%

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

$182 PEN 626

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.94 ₲142.7K

$52.6 PEN 181

-52.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,524 ₲8.7M

$2,449 PEN 8,423

-37.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,014 ₲5.8M

$1,372 PEN 4,718

-26.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ₲2.9M

$653 PEN 2,245

-22.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.86%

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

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altos

–

Lima

$340 33.6%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Lima

$226 22.4%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Lima

$124 12.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Lima

$117 11.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Lima

$112 11.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Lima

$48 4.7%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Lima

$43 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

Lima pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

2 h behind Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Altos Lima 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Altos
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

Altos vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 295% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 125% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $996 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 295% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.