Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,218 in Belize City, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Belize City
Learn more

Belize City Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

Jump to prices

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,218

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Belize City versus $996 in Lima.

Belize City $1,218
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,805 in Belize City versus $1,594 in Lima.

Belize City $1,805
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,391 in Belize City versus $2,191 in Lima.

Belize City $2,391
Lima $2,191

Living in Belize City is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 9% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 BZD 12.67

$4.42 PEN 15.16

43.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.01 BZD 98.0

$35.04 PEN 120

39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 BZD 19.12

$6.84 PEN 23.44

39.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BZD 7.04

$3.27 PEN 11.22

7.65%

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

$1.67 BZD 3.33

$1.10 PEN 3.78

51.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BZD 2.80

$0.65 PEN 2.22

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 BZD 5.05

$2.58 PEN 8.85

-1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 BZD 5.92

$4.47 PEN 15.34

-33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.71 BZD 7.43

$1.59 PEN 5.46

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 BZD 4.98

$2.58 PEN 8.86

-3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 BZD 6.79

$1.36 PEN 4.65

149.26%

Eggs

$3.54 BZD 7.08

$2.95 PEN 10.11

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 BZD 13.23

$9.10 PEN 31.19

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 BZD 19.38

$5.81 PEN 19.91

66.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 BZD 18.04

$9.83 PEN 33.68

-8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 BZD 5.58

$2.01 PEN 6.89

38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 BZD 3.66

$1.08 PEN 3.69

69.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 BZD 5.57

$1.37 PEN 4.70

103.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 BZD 5.90

$1.48 PEN 5.06

99.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 BZD 8.28

$0.96 PEN 3.30

331.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 BZD 5.65

$0.85 PEN 2.92

231.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 BZD 4.64

$0.88 PEN 3.02

163.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 BZD 3.05

$0.87 PEN 2.97

75.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 BZD 9.11

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 BZD 19.44

$8.81 PEN 30.21

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 BZD 4.81

$1.92 PEN 6.57

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 BZD 4.25

$3.20 PEN 10.98

-33.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 BZD 8.07

$0.68 PEN 2.33

494.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 BZD 10.12

$3.81 PEN 13.06

32.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 BZD 4.99

$1.65 PEN 5.65

51.52%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

-52.68%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

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

$367 BZD 734

$73.0 PEN 250

402.20%

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

$49.86 BZD 99.7

$16.26 PEN 55.7

206.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.07 BZD 54.2

$27.60 PEN 94.6

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.19 BZD 50.4

$33.07 PEN 113

-23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.42 BZD 4.83

$19.49 PEN 66.8

-87.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 BZD 9.76

$7.39 PEN 25.33

-33.96%

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

$65.3 BZD 131

$182 PEN 624

-64.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$666 BZD 1,332

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

-95.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.73 BZD 65.5

$52.6 PEN 180

-37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.42 BZD 48.84

$34.23 PEN 117

-28.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.85 BZD 73.7

$83.8 PEN 287

-56.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.54 BZD 75.1

$79.0 PEN 271

-52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 BZD 697

$723 PEN 2,479

-51.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 BZD 382

$340 PEN 1,166

-43.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 BZD 1,150

$1,184 PEN 4,060

-51.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BZD 653

$635 PEN 2,176

-48.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 BZD 1,691

$653 PEN 2,237

29.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

8.94

28.64%

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

Last update for Belize City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belize City

$444 36.4%

Lima

$117 11.6% 73.7% $327

Groceries & Markets

Belize City

$317 26%

Lima

$226 22.4% 28.7% $91

Accommodation & Living

Belize City

$191 15.6%

Lima

$340 33.6% 78.3% $149

Eating Out

Belize City

$152 12.5%

Lima

$124 12.3% 18.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Belize City

$59 4.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 89.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Belize City

$35 2.9%

Lima

$48 4.7% 36.9% $13

Getting Around

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

Lima

$43 4.3% 105% $22

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 $349 in Belize City and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 30% 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: $49.00 in Belize City vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belize City

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

1 h ahead of Belize City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,999

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.446 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 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 BZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belize City Lima 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Belize City
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

Belize City vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Belize City, 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: $349 in Belize City versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,218 per month in Belize City versus $996 in Lima – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,218 in Belize City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Belize City. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $996 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.