Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $2,515 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $1,012 in Lima.

Chico, CA $2,515
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $1,589 in Lima.

Chico, CA $4,036
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $2,167 in Lima.

Chico, CA $5,556
Lima $2,167

Living in Chico, CA is roughly 149% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chico, CA is 86% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$4.40 PEN 15.10

478.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$35.17 PEN 121

42.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$6.89 PEN 23.65

74.89%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.26 PEN 11.20

76.99%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.12 PEN 3.84

134.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.62 PEN 2.11

266.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$2.65 PEN 9.09

176.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$4.41 PEN 15.15

86.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.56 PEN 8.78

16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.35 PEN 4.65

160.00%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.90 PEN 9.96

67.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$8.85 PEN 30.38

25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$5.98 PEN 20.52

102.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$9.78 PEN 33.59

136.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.05 PEN 7.02

164.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.06 PEN 3.66

121.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.35 PEN 4.64

182.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.50 PEN 5.15

276.00%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$0.88 PEN 3.03

469.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$0.92 PEN 3.15

236.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.89 PEN 3.07

176.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.90 PEN 3.10

184.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$5.90 PEN 20.27

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$8.52 PEN 29.26

75.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.22 PEN 11.05

12.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.68 PEN 2.33

332.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$26.86 PEN 92.2

29.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-15.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.02 PEN 6.93

19.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$7.11 PEN 24.41

471.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-17.44%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

62.71%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

-3.04%

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

$185 $185

$73.1 PEN 251

152.87%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$16.35 PEN 56.2

202.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$27.47 PEN 94.3

147.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$31.90 PEN 110

141.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$7.05 PEN 24.23

86.10%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$182 PEN 627

906.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

184.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$53.8 PEN 185

-5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$34.32 PEN 118

-9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$82.8 PEN 284

-15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$78.2 PEN 269

26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$721 PEN 2,476

109.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$343 PEN 1,179

227.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$1,219 PEN 4,186

140.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$651 PEN 2,235

298.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$2,414 PEN 8,292

32.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$1,357 PEN 4,660

115.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$648 PEN 2,226

491.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

8.94

-29.75%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Lima

$343 33.9% 69.4% $780

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Lima

$226 22.3% 47.5% $204

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 67.5% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Lima

$117 11.6% 61.3% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Lima

$112 11.1% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Lima

$46 4.6% 55.4% $57

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Lima

$43 4.3% 29.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 491% 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: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

01:21 1:21 AM

2 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chico, CA Lima 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, 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

Chico, CA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 491% higher in Chico, CA, 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: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $50.0 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,515 per month in Chico, CA versus $1,012 in Lima – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $2,515 in Chico, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chico, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.