Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foster City, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $4,311 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,311

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,311 per month in Foster City, CA vs $1,014 in Lima, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,311
Lima $1,014

A couple spends around $4,062 per month in Foster City, CA vs $1,613 in Lima, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,062
Lima $1,613

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Foster City, CA vs $2,211 in Lima, rent included.

Foster City, CA $3,812
Lima $2,211

Foster City, CA costs about 325% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Foster City, CA sits 218% above the global median, while Lima is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$4.42 PEN 15.19

464.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$34.56 PEN 119

216.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$6.80 PEN 23.37

78.53%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.30 PEN 11.34

70.61%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.06 PEN 3.64

177.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.66 PEN 2.26

312.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$2.54 PEN 8.71

218.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.24 PEN 14.55

93.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.58 PEN 5.43

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.61 PEN 8.97

90.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.34 PEN 4.60

62.69%

Eggs

$6.46 $6.46

$2.93 PEN 10.08

120.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.45 PEN 32.45

60.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$5.75 PEN 19.75

126.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 $23.19

$9.69 PEN 33.29

139.32%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$2.02 PEN 6.95

285.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.07 PEN 3.66

120.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$1.37 PEN 4.70

374.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.47 PEN 5.05

124.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$0.95 PEN 3.25

252.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.91 PEN 3.14

242.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.90 PEN 3.10

173.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.89 PEN 3.04

131.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$5.74 PEN 19.71

107.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 $20.18

$9.21 PEN 31.64

119.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.84 PEN 6.31

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.11 PEN 10.67

18.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.72 PEN 2.46

423.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$26.03 PEN 89.4

630.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.54 PEN 12.17

-9.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.07 PEN 7.12

14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.74 $39.74

$7.75 PEN 26.62

412.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.71 PEN 5.86

-7.60%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

28.46%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

-8.08%

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

$270 $270

$68.2 PEN 234

295.86%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$15.73 PEN 54.0

219.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$26.48 PEN 90.9

154.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$33.94 PEN 117

230.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 $15.80

$7.22 PEN 24.80

118.84%

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

$2,697 $2,697

$201 PEN 689

1244.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

191.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 $47.34

$53.7 PEN 184

-11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 $29.56

$35.88 PEN 123

-17.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 $67.7

$83.8 PEN 288

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 $49.96

$78.8 PEN 271

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,003 $3,003

$729 PEN 2,505

311.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 $2,609

$349 PEN 1,197

648.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,360 PEN 8,105

351.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,568 $9,568

$1,356 PEN 4,657

605.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,872 $6,872

$663 PEN 2,278

936.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

8.78

-22.32%

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

Last update for Foster City, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.5%

Lima

$349 34.4% 86.6% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Foster City, CA

$481 11.2%

Lima

$227 22.4% 52.7% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foster City, CA

$387 9%

Lima

$110 10.9% 71.5% $277

Eating Out

Foster City, CA

$383 8.9%

Lima

$123 12.2% 67.8% $260

Getting Around

Foster City, CA

$220 5.1%

Lima

$43 4.2% 80.6% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Foster City, CA

$144 3.3%

Lima

$48 4.8% 66.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Foster City, CA

$88 2%

Lima

$113 11.2% 29.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,003 in Foster City, CA versus $729 in Lima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 936% higher in Foster City, CA, 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 $109 in Foster City, CA versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $227 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

2 h ahead of Foster City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,567

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Foster City, CA Lima 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Foster City, CA
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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

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

Yes – Foster City, CA is pricier by about 325%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,467 per month in Foster City, CA and $1,522 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 630% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,697 per month in Foster City, CA and $201 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 $1,014, than in Foster City, CA at $4,311. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Foster City, 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Foster City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.