Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calama and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $595 in Calama versus $1,012 in Lima.

Calama $595
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Calama versus $1,589 in Lima.

Calama $1,203
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,812 in Calama versus $2,167 in Lima.

Calama $1,812
Lima $2,167

Living in Calama costs roughly 41% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calama 56% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 CLP 6,841

$4.40 PEN 15.10

57.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

$35.17 PEN 121

-10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

Cappuccino

$2.05 CLP 2,018

$3.26 PEN 11.20

-37.12%

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

$0.93 CLP 916

$1.12 PEN 3.84

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 CLP 929

$0.62 PEN 2.11

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 CLP 3,074

$2.65 PEN 9.09

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CLP 5,149

$4.41 PEN 15.15

18.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 CLP 1,087

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-32.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 CLP 825

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-67.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 CLP 2,575

$1.35 PEN 4.65

94.07%

Eggs

$4.95 CLP 4,876

$2.90 PEN 9.96

70.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CLP 9,217

$8.85 PEN 30.38

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 CLP 6,119

$5.98 PEN 20.52

4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 CLP 7,413

$9.78 PEN 33.59

-23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 CLP 1,242

$2.05 PEN 7.02

-38.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 CLP 1,029

$1.06 PEN 3.66

-0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,523

$1.35 PEN 4.64

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,081

$1.50 PEN 5.15

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 CLP 884

$0.88 PEN 3.03

2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 CLP 916

$0.92 PEN 3.15

1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 CLP 5,170

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.19 CLP 4,128

$8.52 PEN 29.26

-50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 990

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,235

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-61.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 CLP 931

$0.68 PEN 2.33

39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,412

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-29.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,415

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-16.28%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

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

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

$73.1 PEN 251

-45.19%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

$27.47 PEN 94.3

-51.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$31.90 PEN 110

62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

$19.41 PEN 66.7

6.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 CLP 4,617

$7.05 PEN 24.23

-33.48%

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

$306 CLP 301.6K

$182 PEN 627

67.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

$53.8 PEN 185

-32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

$34.32 PEN 118

-17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

$82.8 PEN 284

-44.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

$78.2 PEN 269

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 CLP 322.3K

$721 PEN 2,476

-54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 CLP 100.6K

$343 PEN 1,179

-70.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 CLP 794.0K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

-33.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 CLP 599.0K

$651 PEN 2,235

-6.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

$2,414 PEN 8,292

-41.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

$1,357 PEN 4,660

-9.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

$648 PEN 2,226

71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-44.07%

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

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Calama

$176 * 29.6%

Lima

$226 22.3% 28.2% $50

Eating Out

Calama

$114 * 19.1%

Lima

$124 12.3% 9% $10

Accommodation & Living

Calama

$102 17.2%

Lima

$343 33.9% 236% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Calama

$77 13%

Lima

$112 11.1% 44.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Calama

$61 10.3%

Lima

$46 4.6% 24.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calama

$53 * 9%

Lima

$117 11.6% 119% $64

Getting Around

Calama

$11 * 1.8%

Lima

$43 4.3% 297% $33

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 $327 in Calama and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Calama vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $226 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Calama

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

2 h behind Calama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,575

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calama Lima 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Calama
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

Calama vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Calama, 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: $327 in Calama versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $595 per month in Calama versus $1,012 in Lima – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Calama versus $1,012 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $595 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.