Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colonia and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,511 in Colonia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Colonia
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Colonia Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Colonia

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,511

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,511 in Colonia versus $1,012 in Lima.

Colonia $1,511
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,462 in Colonia versus $1,589 in Lima.

Colonia $2,462
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Colonia versus $2,167 in Lima.

Colonia $3,413
Lima $2,167

Living in Colonia is roughly 49% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colonia is 12% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 UYU 640

$4.40 PEN 15.10

262.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 UYU 3,015

$35.17 PEN 121

113.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 UYU 519

$6.89 PEN 23.65

87.52%

Cappuccino

$5.83 UYU 234

$3.26 PEN 11.20

78.83%

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

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$1.12 PEN 3.84

65.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 UYU 56.2

$0.62 PEN 2.11

125.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 UYU 196

$2.65 PEN 9.09

84.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 UYU 190

$4.41 PEN 15.15

7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 UYU 46.11

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-29.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 UYU 84.7

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-17.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.39

$1.35 PEN 4.65

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.51 UYU 141

$2.90 PEN 9.96

21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 UYU 400

$8.85 PEN 30.38

12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 UYU 495

$5.98 PEN 20.52

106.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 UYU 443

$9.78 PEN 33.59

12.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.3

$2.05 PEN 7.02

5.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 UYU 76.0

$1.06 PEN 3.66

78.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 UYU 51.1

$1.35 PEN 4.64

-5.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 UYU 224

$1.50 PEN 5.15

272.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 81.8

$0.88 PEN 3.03

131.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 UYU 79.3

$0.92 PEN 3.15

115.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 UYU 49.17

$0.89 PEN 3.07

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 UYU 50.2

$0.90 PEN 3.10

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 UYU 307

$5.90 PEN 20.27

29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 UYU 506

$8.52 PEN 29.26

47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 UYU 178

$1.88 PEN 6.45

136.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 UYU 101

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 UYU 38.29

$0.68 PEN 2.33

39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 UYU 34.47

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-77.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 UYU 101

$2.02 PEN 6.93

25.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 UYU 79.4

$1.72 PEN 5.91

15.12%

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

$32.0K UYU 1.3M

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

43.63%

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

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

53.67%

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

$123 UYU 4,923

$73.1 PEN 251

67.87%

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

$18.70 UYU 750

$16.35 PEN 56.2

14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 UYU 1,555

$27.47 PEN 94.3

40.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 UYU 1,660

$31.90 PEN 110

29.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.52 UYU 503

$19.41 PEN 66.7

-35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 UYU 313

$7.05 PEN 24.23

10.64%

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

$182 PEN 627

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 UYU 2,274

$53.8 PEN 185

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 UYU 2,027

$34.32 PEN 118

47.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UYU 4,503

$82.8 PEN 284

35.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 UYU 8,079

$78.2 PEN 269

157.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 UYU 24.0K

$721 PEN 2,476

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 UYU 18.9K

$343 PEN 1,179

36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 UYU 39.2K

$651 PEN 2,235

50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.94

-49.66%

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

Last update for Colonia: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colonia

$470 31.1%

Lima

$343 33.9% 27% $127

Groceries & Markets

Colonia

$314 20.8%

Lima

$226 22.3% 28% $88

Eating Out

Colonia

$283 18.7%

Lima

$124 12.3% 56.2% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Colonia

$189 12.5%

Lima

$112 11.1% 40.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colonia

$180 11.9%

Lima

$117 11.6% 35.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Colonia

$57 3.8%

Lima

$46 4.6% 19.2% $11

Getting Around

Colonia

$17 * 1.2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 151% $26

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 $597 in Colonia and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Colonia vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Colonia

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

2 h behind Colonia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,231

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colonia Lima 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Colonia
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

Colonia vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Colonia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,266 in Colonia and $1,518 in Lima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $597 in Colonia versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,511 per month in Colonia versus $1,012 in Lima – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Colonia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,511 in Colonia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Colonia. 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 $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colonia and Lima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Colonia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.