Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz Centro and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz Centro: $818 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

La Paz Centro
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$818
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in La Paz Centro versus $1,012 in Lima.

  • La Paz Centro $818
  • Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,279 in La Paz Centro versus $1,589 in Lima.

  • La Paz Centro $1,279
  • Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,740 in La Paz Centro versus $2,167 in Lima.

  • La Paz Centro $1,740
  • Lima $2,167

Living in La Paz Centro costs roughly 19% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: La Paz Centro 39% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.84 NIO 360
$4.40 PEN 15.10
123.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.80 NIO 1,275
$35.17 PEN 121
-1.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.73 NIO 283
$6.89 PEN 23.65
12.19%
Cappuccino
$2.66 NIO 97.3
$3.26 PEN 11.20
-18.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 NIO 31.45
$1.12 PEN 3.84
-23.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 NIO 25.44
$0.62 PEN 2.11
11.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.46 NIO 53.3
$2.65 PEN 9.09
-44.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 NIO 84.8
$4.41 PEN 15.15
-47.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 NIO 44.42
$1.63 PEN 5.61
-25.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.34 NIO 85.8
$2.56 PEN 8.78
-8.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.87 NIO 68.4
$1.35 PEN 4.65
38.52%
Eggs
$2.31 NIO 84.5
$2.90 PEN 9.96
-20.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.38 NIO 417
$8.85 PEN 30.38
28.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 NIO 239
$5.98 PEN 20.52
8.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.62 NIO 279
$9.78 PEN 33.59
-22.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.09 NIO 150
$2.05 PEN 7.02
99.51%
Banana (1kg)
$0.58 NIO 21.38
$1.06 PEN 3.66
-45.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 NIO 65.1
$1.35 PEN 4.64
31.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.52 NIO 92.2
$1.50 PEN 5.15
68.00%
Potato (1kg)
$4.03 NIO 148
$0.88 PEN 3.03
357.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 NIO 79.9
$0.92 PEN 3.15
136.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 NIO 39.68
$0.89 PEN 3.07
21.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 NIO 38.75
$0.90 PEN 3.10
17.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.66 NIO 97.4
$5.90 PEN 20.27
-54.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.52 NIO 532
$8.52 PEN 29.26
70.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 NIO 52.1
$1.88 PEN 6.45
-24.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 NIO 80.2
$3.22 PEN 11.05
-31.99%
🚌 Getting Around
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.86 PEN 92.2
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.60 NIO 58.7
$3.81 PEN 13.09
-58.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 NIO 61.4
$2.02 PEN 6.93
-16.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.76 NIO 248
$7.11 PEN 24.41
-4.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 NIO 47.70
$1.72 PEN 5.91
-24.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.8K NIO 835.7K
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
2.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K NIO 956.7K
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
2.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 NIO 5,518
$73.1 PEN 251
106.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.84 NIO 727
$16.35 PEN 56.2
21.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.35 NIO 1,185
$27.47 PEN 94.3
17.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$31.90 PEN 110
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.41 PEN 66.7
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.15 NIO 335
$7.05 PEN 24.23
29.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 NIO 8,593
$182 PEN 627
28.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,136 NIO 224.7K
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
-52.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.5 NIO 2,217
$53.8 PEN 185
12.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.3 NIO 2,353
$34.32 PEN 118
87.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 NIO 4,474
$82.8 PEN 284
47.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 NIO 5,249
$78.2 PEN 269
83.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$721 PEN 2,476
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$343 PEN 1,179
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,219 PEN 4,186
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$651 PEN 2,235
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,357 PEN 4,660
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Paz Centro
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$648 PEN 2,226
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.92
8.94
33.33%

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

Last update for La Paz Centro: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
La Paz Centro
$260
Lima
$226 12.9% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Paz Centro
$203
Lima
$117 42.4% $86
Clothing & Footwear
La Paz Centro
$176
Lima
$112 36.2% $64
Eating Out
La Paz Centro
$152
Lima
$124 18.4% $28
Sport & Entertainment
La Paz Centro
$18 *
Lima
$46 151% $28
Getting Around
La Paz Centro
$10 *
Lima
$43 335% $33
Accommodation & Living
La Paz Centro
- *
Lima
$343

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in La Paz Centro vs $35.00 in Lima. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $226, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇮 La Paz Centro
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
14:27 2:27 PM
15:27 3:27 PM
1 h ahead of La Paz Centro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,228
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.18 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Paz Centro Lima 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • La Paz Centro
  • 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
La Paz Centro vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lima cheaper than La Paz Centro?
La Paz Centro is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,227 in La Paz Centro and $1,518 in Lima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in La Paz Centro and in Lima?
Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in La Paz Centro and in Lima?
All in, you'll spend $818 per month in La Paz Centro versus $1,012 in Lima – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in La Paz Centro or in Lima?
At $818 in La Paz Centro versus $1,012 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Paz Centro but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz Centro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is La Paz Centro or Lima more family-friendly?
For families, La Paz Centro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, La Paz Centro or Lima?
Safety-wise, La Paz Centro 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find La Paz Centro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

La Paz Centro vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?