Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ahuachapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
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Ahuachapan Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ahuachapan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lima and in Ahuachapan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Ahuachapan $1,820

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $2,009 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Ahuachapan $2,009

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $2,199 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Ahuachapan $2,199

Lima is about 44% cheaper than Ahuachapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Ahuachapan is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.11

$6.88 $6.88

-36.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$45.68 $45.68

-23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.66

$6.90 $6.90

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.21

$3.56 $3.56

-8.43%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.81 $0.81

-23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.10

$1.97 $1.97

34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.48 $3.48

26.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.83 $1.83

-10.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.93 $2.93

-12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.37 $1.37

-1.46%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.99 $2.99

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.39

$7.89 $7.89

12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.53

$6.80 $6.80

-12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.61

$10.28 $10.28

-4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.03

$4.97 $4.97

-58.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.37 $1.37

-22.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.64 $2.64

-48.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.16

$3.47 $3.47

-56.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.95 $2.95

-70.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.20 $3.20

-71.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.04 $1.04

-14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$0.96 $0.96

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.28

$3.99 $3.99

47.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.27

$11.98 $11.98

-28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.21 $2.21

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.92 $2.92

10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$5.88 $5.88

-35.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$2.94 $2.94

-31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.42

$19.78 $19.78

-64.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.23 $1.23

39.84%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

-12.22%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

-6.55%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$128 $128

-43.07%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$21.64 $21.64

-24.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.4

$41.76 $41.76

-34.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.24

$5.03 $5.03

40.16%

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

$182 PEN 627

$163 $163

11.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$4,780 $4,780

172.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$67.9 $67.9

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$46.65 $46.65

-26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 285

$118 $118

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$115 $115

-32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,478

$525 $525

37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$1,011 $1,011

-66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,188

$374 $374

226.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,236

$401 $401

62.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,296

$3,151 $3,151

-23.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,663

$1,317 $1,317

3.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,227

$562 $562

15.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.5

5.18%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ahuachapan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Ahuachapan

$1K 55.6% 194% $668

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Ahuachapan

$286 15.7% 26.7% $60

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Ahuachapan

$143 7.9% 15.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Ahuachapan

$192 10.5% 64% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Ahuachapan

$156 8.6% 39.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Ahuachapan

$10 * 0.6% 78.1% $36

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.1% 52.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $525 in Ahuachapan. 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 15% higher in Lima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $46.00 in Ahuachapan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $286 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

110,511

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Ahuachapan 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ahuachapan

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

Lima vs Ahuachapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,012 in Lima, $1,820 in Ahuachapan – roughly 80% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $2,729 in Ahuachapan. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,012 in Lima and $1,820 in Ahuachapan. That's a gap of about 80%.

Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $163 in Ahuachapan. 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 $1,012, than in Ahuachapan at $1,820. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ahuachapan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,012 in Lima to $1,820 in Ahuachapan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Ahuachapan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.