Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huancayo and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Huancayo: $488 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Huancayo
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Huancayo Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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Huancayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$488

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Huancayo vs $1,014 in Lima, rent included.

Huancayo $488
Lima $1,014

A couple spends around $825 per month in Huancayo vs $1,613 in Lima, rent included.

Huancayo $825
Lima $1,613

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Huancayo vs $2,211 in Lima, rent included.

Huancayo $1,162
Lima $2,211

Huancayo is about 52% cheaper than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Huancayo and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Huancayo 64% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 PEN 7.80

$4.42 PEN 15.19

-48.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 PEN 23.54

$6.80 PEN 23.37

0.88%

Cappuccino

$3.29 PEN 11.31

$3.30 PEN 11.34

-0.30%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$1.06 PEN 3.64

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 PEN 2.20

$0.66 PEN 2.26

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PEN 8.91

$2.54 PEN 8.71

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 PEN 14.73

$4.24 PEN 14.55

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 PEN 3.93

$1.58 PEN 5.43

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 PEN 3.60

$2.61 PEN 8.97

-59.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$1.34 PEN 4.60

-3.73%

Eggs

$2.41 PEN 8.26

$2.93 PEN 10.08

-17.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 PEN 17.64

$9.45 PEN 32.45

-45.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 PEN 20.49

$5.75 PEN 19.75

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.20 PEN 17.87

$9.69 PEN 33.29

-46.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

$2.02 PEN 6.95

-30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.53

$1.07 PEN 3.66

-3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.90

$1.37 PEN 4.70

-59.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.10

$1.47 PEN 5.05

-19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$0.95 PEN 3.25

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$0.90 PEN 3.10

-36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.89 PEN 3.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 PEN 19.57

$5.74 PEN 19.71

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 PEN 17.47

$9.21 PEN 31.64

-44.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 PEN 6.41

$1.84 PEN 6.31

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 PEN 10.91

$3.11 PEN 10.67

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.03

$0.72 PEN 2.46

-18.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.38 PEN 59.7

$26.03 PEN 89.4

-33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PEN 6.32

$3.54 PEN 12.17

-48.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 PEN 6.88

$2.07 PEN 7.12

-3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 PEN 24.79

$7.75 PEN 26.62

-6.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 PEN 4.91

$1.71 PEN 5.86

-16.37%

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

$21.7K PEN 74.6K

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

0.67%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

-10.06%

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

$34.52 PEN 119

$68.2 PEN 234

-49.35%

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

$11.76 PEN 40.39

$15.73 PEN 54.0

-25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 PEN 40.59

$26.48 PEN 90.9

-55.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 PEN 25.07

$7.22 PEN 24.80

1.11%

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

$182 PEN 624

$201 PEN 689

-9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

-0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$53.7 PEN 184

0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 PEN 122

$35.88 PEN 123

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 PEN 293

$83.8 PEN 288

1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 PEN 275

$78.8 PEN 271

1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 PEN 1,112

$729 PEN 2,505

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

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)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.78

1.82%

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

Last update for Huancayo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Huancayo

$162 33.2%

Lima

$227 22.4% 40.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Huancayo

$115 23.5%

Lima

$113 11.2% 1% $1.2

Eating Out

Huancayo

$107 21.9%

Lima

$123 12.2% 15.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huancayo

$58 11.9%

Lima

$110 10.9% 89.9% $52

Getting Around

Huancayo

$32 6.5%

Lima

$43 4.2% 35.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Huancayo

$15 * 3%

Lima

$48 4.8% 231% $34

Accommodation & Living

Huancayo

- * 0%

Lima

$349 34.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $324 in Huancayo 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Huancayo versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $227 – making Huancayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Huancayo

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

Same time as Huancayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,552

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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

Huancayo vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima costs about 108% more than Huancayo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $732 per month in Huancayo 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 Huancayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $488 in Huancayo and $1,014 in Lima. That's a gap of about 108%.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Huancayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huancayo, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Lima at $1,014. In Huancayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $488 versus $1,014 in Lima. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Huancayo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.