Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cerro de Pasco and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Cerro de Pasco: $548 a month against $1,042 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Cerro de Pasco
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Cerro de Pasco Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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Cerro de Pasco

🇵🇪 Peru

$548

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $548 per month in Cerro de Pasco vs $1,042 in Lima, rent included.

Cerro de Pasco $548
Lima $1,042

A couple spends around $883 per month in Cerro de Pasco vs $1,651 in Lima, rent included.

Cerro de Pasco $883
Lima $1,651

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Cerro de Pasco vs $2,259 in Lima, rent included.

Cerro de Pasco $1,218
Lima $2,259

Cerro de Pasco is about 47% cheaper than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cerro de Pasco and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Cerro de Pasco 59% lower, Lima 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 PEN 10.30

$4.64 PEN 16.04

-35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.85 PEN 99.8

$34.34 PEN 119

-15.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 PEN 23.43

$7.01 PEN 24.24

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$1.99 PEN 6.89

$3.22 PEN 11.15

-38.20%

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

$0.75 PEN 2.59

$1.13 PEN 3.92

-33.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 PEN 1.57

$0.61 PEN 2.10

-26.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 PEN 9.20

$2.93 PEN 10.13

-9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PEN 14.90

$4.25 PEN 14.71

1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.34

$1.58 PEN 5.47

-2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 PEN 8.16

$2.61 PEN 9.03

-9.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.32

$1.30 PEN 4.49

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.38 PEN 8.25

$2.92 PEN 10.10

-18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 PEN 31.42

$9.54 PEN 32.99

-4.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.77

$5.71 PEN 19.76

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.33 PEN 28.81

$9.47 PEN 32.75

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 PEN 7.05

$2.01 PEN 6.95

1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.57

$1.02 PEN 3.54

-27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.56

$1.45 PEN 5.02

-68.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.95

$1.49 PEN 5.17

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.59

$0.91 PEN 3.15

-17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 PEN 1.74

$0.89 PEN 3.09

-43.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.12

$0.86 PEN 2.98

4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 PEN 19.69

$5.47 PEN 18.93

4.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 PEN 25.70

$10.17 PEN 35.18

-26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 PEN 6.62

$1.81 PEN 6.25

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.24

$3.15 PEN 10.89

-15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 PEN 11.90

$3.43 PEN 11.85

0.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.96

$1.98 PEN 6.83

1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 PEN 26.59

$9.60 PEN 33.21

-19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.94

$1.71 PEN 5.92

0.58%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.7K

$21.9K PEN 75.6K

0.13%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.5K

-0.00%

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

$67.5 PEN 234

$65.8 PEN 228

2.55%

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

$15.47 PEN 53.5

$15.26 PEN 52.8

1.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.37 PEN 91.2

$26.87 PEN 93.0

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 114

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 PEN 24.35

$7.12 PEN 24.62

-1.12%

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

$308 PEN 1,065

$309 PEN 1,069

-0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 45.1K

$21.4K PEN 73.9K

-38.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 PEN 184

$52.0 PEN 180

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 PEN 121

$35.69 PEN 123

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 PEN 289

$81.8 PEN 283

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 PEN 273

$78.0 PEN 270

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,514

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,291

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 PEN 1,425

$1,249 PEN 4,319

-67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,557

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,233

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$470 PEN 1,625

$650 PEN 2,249

-27.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

8.38

4.77%

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

Last update for Cerro de Pasco: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cerro de Pasco

$204 37.2%

Lima

$228 21.9% 11.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Cerro de Pasco

$113 20.6%

Lima

$111 10.7% 1.3% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cerro de Pasco

$109 19.9%

Lima

$108 10.4% 1.3% $1.4

Eating Out

Cerro de Pasco

$95 17.3%

Lima

$127 12.2% 33.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.6%

Lima

$47 4.5% 235% $33

Getting Around

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.5%

Lima

$48 4.6% 254% $34

Accommodation & Living

Cerro de Pasco

- * 0%

Lima

$373 35.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 38% higher in Lima, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Cerro de Pasco versus $34 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $228 – making Cerro de Pasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cerro de Pasco

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as Cerro de Pasco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,899

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.257 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.257 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cerro de Pasco Lima 180 km

From you

Cerro de Pasco
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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

Cerro de Pasco vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lima is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $822 per month in Cerro de Pasco and $1,564 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Cerro de Pasco and $34 in Lima. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Lima, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cerro de Pasco, where all-in costs run around $548, than in Lima at $1,042. In Cerro de Pasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $548 in Cerro de Pasco to $1,042 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cerro de Pasco. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.