Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Liberia and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,621 in Liberia, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Liberia
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Liberia Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Liberia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,621

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Liberia versus $1,012 in Lima.

Liberia $1,621
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,267 in Liberia versus $1,589 in Lima.

Liberia $2,267
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,914 in Liberia versus $2,167 in Lima.

Liberia $2,914
Lima $2,167

Living in Liberia is roughly 60% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Liberia is 20% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 ₡4,855

$4.40 PEN 15.11

145.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₡17.0K

$35.17 PEN 121

7.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,886

$6.89 PEN 23.66

57.91%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ₡1,590

$3.26 PEN 11.21

8.59%

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

$1.99 ₡894

$1.12 PEN 3.84

77.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₡722

$0.62 PEN 2.11

159.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ₡1,198

$2.65 PEN 9.10

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,973

$4.41 PEN 15.16

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,090

$1.63 PEN 5.62

49.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₡1,405

$2.56 PEN 8.78

22.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,029

$1.35 PEN 4.65

69.63%

Eggs

$3.42 ₡1,534

$2.90 PEN 9.96

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 ₡3,537

$8.85 PEN 30.40

-10.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 ₡3,532

$5.98 PEN 20.53

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 ₡5,577

$9.78 PEN 33.62

26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,314

$2.05 PEN 7.03

151.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.06 PEN 3.66

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,133

$1.35 PEN 4.64

86.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₡1,454

$1.50 PEN 5.16

116.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,754

$0.88 PEN 3.03

344.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ₡1,171

$0.92 PEN 3.15

183.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡484

$0.89 PEN 3.07

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₡966

$0.90 PEN 3.11

138.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,220

$5.90 PEN 20.29

-16.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 ₡6,957

$8.52 PEN 29.28

81.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₡1,035

$1.88 PEN 6.45

22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,596

$3.22 PEN 11.05

10.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₡500

$0.68 PEN 2.34

63.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ₡24.5K

$26.86 PEN 92.3

103.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,104

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-35.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡699

$2.02 PEN 6.94

-22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 ₡3,880

$7.11 PEN 24.43

21.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-8.72%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

-0.09%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

37.35%

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

$94.3 ₡42.3K

$73.1 PEN 251

29.03%

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

$30.81 ₡13.8K

$16.35 PEN 56.2

88.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.82 ₡17.9K

$27.47 PEN 94.4

44.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 ₡22.1K

$31.90 PEN 110

54.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 ₡15.7K

$19.41 PEN 66.7

79.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,387

$7.05 PEN 24.24

6.95%

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

$1,002 ₡449.9K

$182 PEN 627

449.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

30.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₡29.7K

$53.8 PEN 185

22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 ₡16.5K

$34.32 PEN 118

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.4K

$82.8 PEN 285

57.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₡41.6K

$78.2 PEN 269

18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.6K

$721 PEN 2,478

10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡287.9K

$343 PEN 1,180

86.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ₡415.8K

$1,219 PEN 4,189

-24.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₡331.7K

$651 PEN 2,236

13.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,297

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₡398.1K

$648 PEN 2,227

36.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.94

-3.58%

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

Last update for Liberia: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Liberia

$641 39.6%

Lima

$343 33.9% 46.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Liberia

$337 20.8%

Lima

$226 22.3% 32.9% $111

Eating Out

Liberia

$198 12.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 37.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Liberia

$165 10.2%

Lima

$117 11.6% 29.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Liberia

$147 9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 23.5% $34

Getting Around

Liberia

$69 4.3%

Lima

$43 4.3% 37.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Liberia

$64 4%

Lima

$46 4.6% 28.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Liberia and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liberia pays 37% 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: $38.00 in Liberia vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Liberia

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

22:31 10:31 PM

1 h ahead of Liberia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,000

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Liberia Lima 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Liberia
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

Liberia vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Liberia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Liberia, 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: $794 in Liberia 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 $38.00 in Liberia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,621 per month in Liberia versus $1,012 in Lima – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,621 in Liberia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Liberia. 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, Liberia 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 60% less than in Liberia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.