Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cerritos, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cerritos, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,104
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,104 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $996 in Lima, rent included.

  • Cerritos, CA $3,104
  • Lima $996

A couple spends around $3,246 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $1,594 in Lima, rent included.

  • Cerritos, CA $3,246
  • Lima $1,594

A family of three spends $3,389 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $2,191 in Lima, rent included.

  • Cerritos, CA $3,389
  • Lima $2,191

Cerritos, CA costs about 212% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cerritos, CA sits 132% above the global median, while Lima is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.23 $25.23
$4.42 PEN 15.16
470.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 $102
$35.04 PEN 120
190.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.93 $15.93
$6.84 PEN 23.44
132.89%
Cappuccino
$5.61 $5.61
$3.27 PEN 11.22
71.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.10 PEN 3.78
183.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$0.65 PEN 2.22
313.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.20 $8.20
$2.58 PEN 8.85
217.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.98 $9.98
$4.47 PEN 15.34
123.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.59 PEN 5.46
-16.35%
White Bread (500g)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.58 PEN 8.86
89.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$1.36 PEN 4.65
236.03%
Eggs
$5.78 $5.78
$2.95 PEN 10.11
95.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.63 $11.63
$9.10 PEN 31.19
27.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.87 $8.87
$5.81 PEN 19.91
52.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.30 $19.30
$9.83 PEN 33.68
96.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.01 PEN 6.89
132.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.08 PEN 3.69
134.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.50 $4.50
$1.37 PEN 4.70
228.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.53 $5.53
$1.48 PEN 5.06
273.65%
Potato (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$0.96 PEN 3.30
228.13%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 $2.90
$0.85 PEN 2.92
241.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.02 $2.02
$0.88 PEN 3.02
129.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$0.87 PEN 2.97
189.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.81 $11.81
$5.90 PEN 20.24
100.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.89 $14.89
$8.81 PEN 30.21
69.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.92 PEN 6.57
30.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$3.20 PEN 10.98
-13.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 $3.15
$3.81 PEN 13.06
-17.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.04 PEN 7.00
-10.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 $32.22
$7.14 PEN 24.49
351.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.65 PEN 5.65
-2.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K $36.5K
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
64.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
-0.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 $221
$73.0 PEN 250
202.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$76.4 $76.4
$16.26 PEN 55.7
369.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.8 $80.8
$27.60 PEN 94.6
192.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$119 $119
$33.07 PEN 113
258.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.17 $20.17
$7.39 PEN 25.33
172.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,157 $1,157
$182 PEN 624
535.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.8K $32.8K
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
145.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.7 $62.7
$52.6 PEN 180
19.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.80 $47.80
$34.23 PEN 117
39.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 $114
$83.8 PEN 287
36.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$79.0 PEN 271
29.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,968 $1,968
$723 PEN 2,479
172.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,624 $1,624
$340 PEN 1,166
377.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,556 $3,556
$1,184 PEN 4,060
200.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$635 PEN 2,176
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,449 PEN 8,394
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,372 PEN 4,702
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cerritos, CA
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$653 PEN 2,237
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.31
8.94
-29.42%

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

Last update for Cerritos, CA: 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
Cerritos, CA
$1.6K
Lima
$340 79.1% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Cerritos, CA
$427
Lima
$226 46.9% $200
Eating Out
Cerritos, CA
$401
Lima
$124 69.1% $277
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cerritos, CA
$378
Lima
$117 69.1% $261
Sport & Entertainment
Cerritos, CA
$159
Lima
$48 69.9% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Cerritos, CA
$147
Lima
$112 23.6% $35
Getting Around
Cerritos, CA
$12 *
Lima
$43 254% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Cerritos, CA versus $723 in Lima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cerritos, CA versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Cerritos, CA
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
11:57 11:57 AM
13:57 1:57 PM
2 h ahead of Cerritos, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
49,041
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cerritos, CA Lima 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cerritos, CA
  • 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
Cerritos, CA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cerritos, CA and in Lima compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, $996 in Lima – roughly 212% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Cerritos, CA compared to Lima?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,655 per month in Cerritos, CA and $1,494 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cerritos, CA and Lima?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cerritos, CA and $35.00 in Lima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 88% more in Cerritos, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Cerritos, CA at $3,104. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cerritos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cerritos, CA and Lima?
It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $996 in Lima to $3,104 in Cerritos, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cerritos, CA or Lima safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Cerritos, CA and Lima?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cerritos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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