Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $1,447 in Jaco Beach, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Jaco Beach versus $1,014 in Lima.

Jaco Beach $1,447
Lima $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Jaco Beach versus $1,613 in Lima.

Jaco Beach $2,313
Lima $1,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Jaco Beach versus $2,211 in Lima.

Jaco Beach $3,180
Lima $2,211

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 43% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jaco Beach is 7% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$4.42 PEN 15.19

166.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.49 ₡19.5K

$34.56 PEN 119

25.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 ₡4,505

$6.80 PEN 23.37

47.79%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₡1,768

$3.30 PEN 11.34

19.39%

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

$2.38 ₡1,065

$1.06 PEN 3.64

124.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡833

$0.66 PEN 2.26

181.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 ₡1,475

$2.54 PEN 8.71

29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₡1,943

$4.24 PEN 14.55

2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₡853

$1.58 PEN 5.43

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ₡997

$2.61 PEN 8.97

-14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$1.34 PEN 4.60

81.34%

Eggs

$2.61 ₡1,171

$2.93 PEN 10.08

-10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,764

$9.45 PEN 32.45

12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 ₡4,123

$5.75 PEN 19.75

59.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 ₡5,338

$9.69 PEN 33.29

22.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,278

$2.02 PEN 6.95

151.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₡742

$1.07 PEN 3.66

55.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,033

$1.37 PEN 4.70

230.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,590

$1.47 PEN 5.05

140.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.95 PEN 3.25

64.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ₡637

$0.91 PEN 3.14

56.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡454

$0.90 PEN 3.10

12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₡894

$0.89 PEN 3.04

123.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 ₡2,598

$5.74 PEN 19.71

0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 ₡6,366

$9.21 PEN 31.64

54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,188

$1.84 PEN 6.31

44.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₡1,012

$3.11 PEN 10.67

-27.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₡1,087

$3.54 PEN 12.17

-31.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.07 PEN 7.12

-25.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₡3,994

$7.75 PEN 26.62

14.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.71 PEN 5.86

-9.36%

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

$34.1K ₡15.3M

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

58.11%

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

$41.6K ₡18.7M

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

45.63%

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

$80.2 ₡36.0K

$68.2 PEN 234

17.73%

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

$24.70 ₡11.1K

$15.73 PEN 54.0

57.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.61 ₡20.9K

$26.48 PEN 90.9

76.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₡23.9K

$33.94 PEN 117

56.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ₡3,395

$7.22 PEN 24.80

4.85%

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

$492 ₡220.8K

$201 PEN 689

145.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,283 ₡3.3M

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

-43.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.70 ₡11.1K

$53.7 PEN 184

-54.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 ₡25.6K

$35.88 PEN 123

59.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.8K

$83.8 PEN 288

56.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.5K

$78.8 PEN 271

68.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₡343.4K

$729 PEN 2,505

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₡233.2K

$349 PEN 1,197

49.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 ₡891.0K

$1,186 PEN 4,073

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 ₡499.1K

$696 PEN 2,391

59.82%

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)

$399 ₡178.8K

$663 PEN 2,278

-39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.78

-1.82%

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

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9%

Lima

$349 34.4% 33% $171

Groceries & Markets

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7%

Lima

$227 22.4% 30.7% $101

Eating Out

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8%

Lima

$123 12.2% 42.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8%

Lima

$113 11.2% 27.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5%

Lima

$110 10.9% 27.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7%

Lima

$48 4.8% 29.3% $20

Getting Around

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7%

Lima

$43 4.2% 321% $33

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 $766 in Jaco Beach and $729 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Jaco Beach vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $227 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

16:44 4:44 PM

1 h ahead of Jaco Beach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jaco Beach Lima 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jaco Beach
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

Jaco Beach vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $766 in Jaco Beach versus $729 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Jaco Beach versus $201 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $43.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jaco Beach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jaco Beach 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 43% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.