Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belem and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $937 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Belem
Learn more

Belem Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

Jump to prices

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $937 in Belem versus $996 in Lima.

Belem $937
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,424 in Belem versus $1,594 in Lima.

Belem $1,424
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,911 in Belem versus $2,191 in Lima.

Belem $1,911
Lima $2,191

Living in Belem costs roughly 6% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belem 30% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 R$24.66

$4.42 PEN 15.16

11.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.41 R$102

$35.04 PEN 120

-41.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 R$33.96

$6.84 PEN 23.44

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.48

$3.27 PEN 11.22

-41.90%

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

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.10 PEN 3.78

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.56

$0.65 PEN 2.22

-21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 R$7.91

$2.58 PEN 8.85

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$11.80

$4.47 PEN 15.34

-47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 R$7.01

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 R$12.40

$2.58 PEN 8.86

-3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.59

$1.36 PEN 4.65

-2.94%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.71

$2.95 PEN 10.11

-27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 R$45.91

$9.10 PEN 31.19

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R$22.64

$5.81 PEN 19.91

-22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 R$37.70

$9.83 PEN 33.68

-23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.49

$2.01 PEN 6.89

14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.15

$1.08 PEN 3.69

32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.42

$1.37 PEN 4.70

8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.73

$1.48 PEN 5.06

18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.45

$0.96 PEN 3.30

13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 R$3.14

$0.85 PEN 2.92

-25.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R$6.45

$0.88 PEN 3.02

46.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R$7.13

$0.87 PEN 2.97

64.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 R$13.21

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-55.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.94 R$49.60

$8.81 PEN 30.21

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.25

$1.92 PEN 6.57

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 R$25.31

$3.20 PEN 10.98

58.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.82

$0.68 PEN 2.33

42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.73 R$173

$26.74 PEN 91.7

29.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.86

$3.81 PEN 13.06

-69.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 R$5.83

$2.04 PEN 7.00

-42.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 R$41.71

$7.14 PEN 24.49

17.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.57

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-20.00%

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

$23.9K R$119.3K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

7.75%

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

$32.5K R$162.3K

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

26.69%

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

$98.6 R$492

$73.0 PEN 250

34.94%

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

$11.52 R$57.5

$16.26 PEN 55.7

-29.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.16 R$156

$27.60 PEN 94.6

12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.62 R$108

$33.07 PEN 113

-34.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 R$196

$19.49 PEN 66.8

101.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 R$39.04

$7.39 PEN 25.33

5.82%

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

$111 R$556

$182 PEN 624

-38.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,464 R$17.3K

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

-73.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.02 R$160

$52.6 PEN 180

-39.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 R$228

$34.23 PEN 117

33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 R$415

$83.8 PEN 287

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 R$334

$79.0 PEN 271

-15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,642

$723 PEN 2,479

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 R$1,450

$340 PEN 1,166

-14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 R$4,436

$1,184 PEN 4,060

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 R$2,684

$635 PEN 2,176

-15.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,003 R$9,997

$2,449 PEN 8,394

-18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 R$7,005

$1,372 PEN 4,702

2.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$422 R$2,105

$653 PEN 2,237

-35.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

8.94

28.41%

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

Last update for Belem: 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

Belem

$290 30.8%

Lima

$340 33.6% 17.1% $50

Groceries & Markets

Belem

$225 23.8%

Lima

$226 22.4% 0.8% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belem

$141 15%

Lima

$117 11.6% 17.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Belem

$103 10.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 9.6% $9.8

Eating Out

Belem

$102 10.8%

Lima

$124 12.3% 22% $22

Getting Around

Belem

$46 4.8%

Lima

$43 4.3% 4.6% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Belem

$37 4%

Lima

$48 4.7% 28.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Belem and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 55% 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: $20.00 in Belem vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $226 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belem

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h behind Belem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,303,403

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belem Lima 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Belem
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

Belem vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 55% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $529 in Belem versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 30% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $111 in Belem versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Belem versus $996 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.