Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Centro, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,045 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,700 per month in El Centro, CA vs $1,045 in Lima, rent included.

El Centro, CA $2,700
Lima $1,045

A couple spends around $3,848 per month in El Centro, CA vs $1,668 in Lima, rent included.

El Centro, CA $3,848
Lima $1,668

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in El Centro, CA vs $2,292 in Lima, rent included.

El Centro, CA $4,996
Lima $2,292

El Centro, CA costs about 158% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Centro, CA sits 98% above the global median, while Lima is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 $13.62

$4.25 PEN 14.65

220.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 $44.97

$35.07 PEN 121

28.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 $11.39

$7.04 PEN 24.26

61.79%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$3.30 PEN 11.39

48.18%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.11 PEN 3.83

128.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.62 PEN 2.13

216.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.64 PEN 9.11

85.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.41 PEN 15.22

80.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.62 PEN 5.59

-28.40%

White Bread (500g)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.59 PEN 8.93

127.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.32 PEN 4.55

231.06%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$2.95 PEN 10.16

66.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$9.59 PEN 33.07

32.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$5.70 PEN 19.66

257.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.95 PEN 34.31

39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$1.94 PEN 6.70

183.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.03 PEN 3.55

65.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.44 PEN 4.95

197.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$1.53 PEN 5.27

339.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$0.90 PEN 3.10

304.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$0.89 PEN 3.08

289.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.87 PEN 3.01

162.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.88 PEN 3.03

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$5.64 PEN 19.46

106.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.56 PEN 32.97

55.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.92 PEN 6.63

-11.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.16 PEN 10.88

3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.72 PEN 2.48

213.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 $58.6

$32.28 PEN 111

81.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.56 PEN 12.28

25.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.99 PEN 6.86

-5.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 $35.36

$7.83 PEN 26.99

351.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.65 PEN 5.68

-7.27%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$21.7K PEN 74.9K

26.15%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.3K PEN 97.4K

-8.04%

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

$216 $216

$67.7 PEN 233

218.57%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$15.71 PEN 54.2

358.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$26.76 PEN 92.3

163.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 $34.32

$32.50 PEN 112

5.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 PEN 67.8

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$7.39 PEN 25.47

61.03%

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

$1,895 $1,895

$309 PEN 1,065

513.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$13.0K PEN 44.9K

228.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$53.9 PEN 186

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 $40.38

$35.93 PEN 124

12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$81.5 PEN 281

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$79.5 PEN 274

117.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$734 PEN 2,530

90.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$373 PEN 1,287

248.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$1,287 PEN 4,436

74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 $2,076

$764 PEN 2,632

171.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,709 $2,709

$2,434 PEN 8,391

11.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,359 PEN 4,683

95.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$666 PEN 2,295

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.78

-24.37%

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

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2%

Lima

$373 35.7% 71.3% $927

Groceries & Markets

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7%

Lima

$229 21.9% 51.9% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3%

Lima

$110 10.5% 69.2% $248

Eating Out

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6%

Lima

$124 11.8% 52.4% $136

Clothing & Footwear

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1%

Lima

$113 10.8% 31.3% $51

Getting Around

El Centro, CA

$81 3%

Lima

$49 4.7% 40.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2%

Lima

$47 4.5% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,401 in El Centro, CA versus $734 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 $45 in El Centro, CA versus $35 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $229 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

2 h ahead of El Centro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,322

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

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El Centro, CA Lima 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

El Centro, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,700 in El Centro, CA, $1,045 in Lima – roughly 158% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,049 per month in El Centro, CA and $1,568 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $734 there versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,895 per month in El Centro, CA and $309 in Lima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in El Centro, CA at $2,700. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Centro, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Lima is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 158% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.