For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $862 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Assis and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Assis versus $1,014 in Lima.
Assis $862
Lima $1,014
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Assis versus $1,613 in Lima.
Assis $1,343
Lima $1,613
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,825 in Assis versus $2,211 in Lima.
Assis $1,825
Lima $2,211
🌍
Living in Assis costs roughly 15% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Assis36% lower, Lima25% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Assis
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.98R$30.31
$4.42PEN 15.19
35.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.64R$120
$34.56PEN 119
-31.60%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.92R$30.03
$6.80PEN 23.37
-12.94%
Cappuccino
$2.01R$10.21
$3.30PEN 11.34
-39.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18R$5.97
$1.06PEN 3.64
11.32%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82R$4.14
$0.66PEN 2.26
24.24%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.62R$8.21
$2.54PEN 8.71
-36.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02R$10.24
$4.24PEN 14.55
-52.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Assis
Lima
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.12R$5.68
$1.58PEN 5.43
-29.11%
White Bread(500g)
$1.26R$6.40
$2.61PEN 8.97
-51.72%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.30R$6.60
$1.34PEN 4.60
-2.99%
Eggs
$1.53R$7.74
$2.93PEN 10.08
-47.78%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.51R$38.09
$9.45PEN 32.45
-20.53%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.24R$26.56
$5.75PEN 19.75
-8.87%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.58R$43.50
$9.69PEN 33.29
-11.46%
Apples(1kg)
$2.12R$10.76
$2.02PEN 6.95
4.95%
Banana(1kg)
$1.17R$5.92
$1.07PEN 3.66
9.35%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.22R$6.18
$1.37PEN 4.70
-10.95%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.51R$7.63
$1.47PEN 5.05
2.72%
Potato(1kg)
$1.15R$5.83
$0.95PEN 3.25
21.05%
Onion(1kg)
$0.98R$4.98
$0.91PEN 3.14
7.69%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.91R$4.62
$0.90PEN 3.10
1.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97R$4.92
$0.89PEN 3.04
8.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.46R$12.47
$5.74PEN 19.71
-57.14%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.21R$31.48
$9.21PEN 31.64
-32.57%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44R$7.29
$1.84PEN 6.31
-21.74%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02R$10.24
$3.11PEN 10.67
-35.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Assis
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.01R$5.09
$0.72PEN 2.46
40.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.54R$226
$26.03PEN 89.4
71.11%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.37R$12.02
$3.54PEN 12.17
-33.05%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.78R$3.94
$2.07PEN 7.12
-62.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.85R$14.45
$7.75PEN 26.62
-63.23%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.25R$6.33
$1.71PEN 5.86
-26.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3KR$178.8K
$21.6KPEN 74.1K
63.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8KR$166.0K
$28.6KPEN 98.2K
14.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$86.7R$439
$68.2PEN 234
27.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.97R$55.6
$15.73PEN 54.0
-30.26%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.00R$117
$26.48PEN 90.9
-13.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Assis
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.07R$132
$33.94PEN 117
-23.19%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.03R$142
$20.10PEN 69.0
39.45%
Cinema Ticket
$5.89R$29.85
$7.22PEN 24.80
-18.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Assis
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$212R$1,074
$201PEN 689
5.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,614R$38.6K
$12.9KPEN 44.3K
-40.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Assis
Lima
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.34R$220
$53.7PEN 184
-19.31%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.9R$299
$35.88PEN 123
64.21%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.0R$436
$83.8PEN 288
2.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.1R$305
$78.8PEN 271
-23.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Assis
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$359R$1,817
$729PEN 2,505
-50.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$243R$1,234
$349PEN 1,197
-30.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$677R$3,432
$1,186PEN 4,073
-42.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$471R$2,385
$696PEN 2,391
-32.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,718R$8,708
$2,360PEN 8,105
-27.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,206R$6,112
$1,356PEN 4,657
-11.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Assis
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$594R$3,011
$663PEN 2,278
-10.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.5
8.78
19.59%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Assis: October 19, 2026
Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Assis
$243 28.2%
Lima
$349 34.4% ↑ 43.2%$105
🛒Groceries & Markets
Assis
$184 21.3%
Lima
$227 22.4% ↑ 23.5%$43
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
$121 14%
Lima
$110 10.9% ↓ 8.5%$10
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Assis
$112 13%
Lima
$113 11.2% ↑ 1.5%$1.7
🍽Eating Out
Assis
$110 12.7%
Lima
$123 12.2% ↑ 12.4%$14
🚌Getting Around
Assis
$55 6.4%
Lima
$43 4.2% ↓ 21.9%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Assis
$38 4.4%
Lima
$48 4.8% ↑ 27.8%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Assis
$471 25.8%
Lima
$696 31.5% ↑ 48%$226
🛒Groceries & Markets
Assis
$422 23.1%
Lima
$519 23.5% ↑ 23%$97
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
$132 7.2%
Lima
$126 5.7% ↓ 4.2%$5.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Assis
$248 13.6%
Lima
$252 11.4% ↑ 1.5%$3.8
🍽Eating Out
Assis
$337 18.5%
Lima
$413 18.7% ↑ 22.7%$76
🚌Getting Around
Assis
$112 6.1%
Lima
$87 3.9% ↓ 22%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Assis
$104 5.7%
Lima
$117 5.3% ↑ 12.7%$13
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Assis and $729 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 12% 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: $24.00 in Assis vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $227 per month, with Assis cheaper across the board.
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
Assis vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lima cheaper than Assis?
Assis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Assis or Lima?
On paper, salaries run 12% 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.
What is the rent difference between Assis and Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Assis versus $729 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 71% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $212 in Assis versus $201 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Assis or in Lima?
At $862 in Assis versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Assis or Lima more family-friendly?
For families, Assis 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.