For one person, living is cheaper in Lavras: $885 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lavras and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Lavras versus $1,014 in Lima.
Lavras $885
Lima $1,014
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,256 in Lavras versus $1,613 in Lima.
Lavras $1,256
Lima $1,613
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,626 in Lavras versus $2,211 in Lima.
Lavras $1,626
Lima $2,211
🌍
Living in Lavras costs roughly 13% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Lavras35% lower, Lima25% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.24R$21.52
$4.42PEN 15.19
-4.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.15R$92.0
$34.56PEN 119
-47.48%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.08R$40.94
$6.80PEN 23.37
18.82%
Cappuccino
$1.89R$9.60
$3.30PEN 11.34
-42.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27R$6.41
$1.06PEN 3.64
19.81%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66R$3.34
$0.66PEN 2.26
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.16R$10.93
$2.54PEN 8.71
-14.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31R$11.71
$4.24PEN 14.55
-45.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.77R$3.88
$1.58PEN 5.43
-51.27%
White Bread(500g)
$1.80R$9.11
$2.61PEN 8.97
-31.03%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.35R$6.86
$1.34PEN 4.60
0.75%
Eggs
$2.27R$11.52
$2.93PEN 10.08
-22.53%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.68R$49.06
$9.45PEN 32.45
2.43%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.42R$22.41
$5.75PEN 19.75
-23.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.84R$39.77
$9.69PEN 33.29
-19.09%
Apples(1kg)
$1.21R$6.15
$2.02PEN 6.95
-40.10%
Banana(1kg)
$1.27R$6.43
$1.07PEN 3.66
18.69%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.82R$4.14
$1.37PEN 4.70
-40.15%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.22R$6.20
$1.47PEN 5.05
-17.01%
Potato(1kg)
$0.77R$3.90
$0.95PEN 3.25
-18.95%
Onion(1kg)
$1.01R$5.14
$0.91PEN 3.14
10.99%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.80R$4.03
$0.90PEN 3.10
-11.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77R$3.92
$0.89PEN 3.04
-13.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.53R$12.85
$5.74PEN 19.71
-55.92%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.00R$40.54
$9.21PEN 31.64
-13.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18R$5.97
$1.84PEN 6.31
-35.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63R$8.28
$3.11PEN 10.67
-47.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Lavras
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.03R$5.20
$0.72PEN 2.46
43.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$60.6R$307
$26.03PEN 89.4
132.85%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.03R$5.24
$3.54PEN 12.17
-70.90%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.75R$3.83
$2.07PEN 7.12
-63.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.45R$32.68
$7.75PEN 26.62
-16.77%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.30R$6.59
$1.71PEN 5.86
-23.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9KR$116.2K
$21.6KPEN 74.1K
6.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6KR$170.2K
$28.6KPEN 98.2K
17.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$76.4R$387
$68.2PEN 234
12.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.43R$52.9
$15.73PEN 54.0
-33.69%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61R$104
$26.48PEN 90.9
-22.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.07R$152
$33.94PEN 117
-11.40%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.16R$92.1
$20.10PEN 69.0
-9.65%
Cinema Ticket
$7.92R$40.16
$7.22PEN 24.80
9.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$286R$1,452
$201PEN 689
42.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,301R$16.7K
$12.9KPEN 44.3K
-74.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.6R$307
$53.7PEN 184
12.74%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.25R$250
$35.88PEN 123
37.26%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.2R$503
$83.8PEN 288
18.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.8R$359
$78.8PEN 271
-10.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lavras
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$359R$1,819
$729PEN 2,505
-50.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$252R$1,278
$349PEN 1,197
-27.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$347R$1,759
$1,186PEN 4,073
-70.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$276R$1,400
$696PEN 2,391
-60.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,212R$6,142
$2,360PEN 8,105
-48.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$997R$5,055
$1,356PEN 4,657
-26.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lavras
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$482R$2,445
$663PEN 2,278
-27.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.25
8.78
28.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lavras: October 19, 2026
Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lavras
$252 28.5%
Lima
$349 34.4% ↑ 38.3%$97
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lavras
$180 20.3%
Lima
$227 22.4% ↑ 26.4%$47
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lavras
$126 14.2%
Lima
$113 11.2% ↓ 9.9%$12
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lavras
$107 12.1%
Lima
$110 10.9% ↑ 2.7%$3
🍽Eating Out
Lavras
$104 11.8%
Lima
$123 12.2% ↑ 18.7%$19
🚌Getting Around
Lavras
$70 7.9%
Lima
$43 4.2% ↓ 38.4%$27
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lavras
$46 5.2%
Lima
$48 4.8% ↑ 5.4%$2.5
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lavras
$276 17%
Lima
$696 31.5% ↑ 152%$420
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lavras
$411 25.2%
Lima
$519 23.5% ↑ 26.4%$108
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lavras
$280 17.2%
Lima
$252 11.4% ↓ 9.9%$28
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lavras
$118 7.3%
Lima
$126 5.7% ↑ 7%$8.3
🍽Eating Out
Lavras
$291 17.9%
Lima
$413 18.7% ↑ 42%$122
🚌Getting Around
Lavras
$141 8.7%
Lima
$87 3.9% ↓ 38.3%$54
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lavras
$110 6.8%
Lima
$117 5.3% ↑ 6.3%$6.9
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Lavras and $729 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $18.00 in Lavras vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $227 per month, with Lavras cheaper across the board.
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
Lavras vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lavras or Lima?
Lavras wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lavras the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lavras or in Lima?
On paper, salaries run 38% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lavras compared to Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Lavras versus $729 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Lavras compared to Lima?
A monthly transit pass in Lavras runs roughly 133% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Lavras and in Lima?
Childcare runs $286 in Lavras versus $201 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lavras or in Lima?
At $885 in Lavras versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lavras but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Lavras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lavras or Lima?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lavras delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lavras hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lavras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.