Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Altos

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 Altos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $252 in Altos.

Lima $996
Altos $252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $375 in Altos.

Lima $1,594
Altos $375

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $498 in Altos.

Lima $2,191
Altos $498

Living in Lima is roughly 295% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Altos 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$0.49 ₲2,760

224.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$0.85 ₲4,814

203.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$0.99 ₲5,610

37.37%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$1.89 ₲10.7K

56.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$6.08 ₲34.5K

49.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$3.53 ₲20.0K

64.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$5.42 ₲30.8K

81.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.34 ₲13.3K

-14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.27 ₲7,217

-14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.36 ₲7,738

0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.85 ₲10.5K

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.17 ₲6,637

-17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.34 ₲7,629

-36.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.21 ₲6,871

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$0.87 ₲4,924

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$0.96 ₲5,443

514.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$7.89 ₲44.8K

11.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$0.69 ₲3,908

178.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$0.77 ₲4,370

315.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.38 ₲2,163

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$11.91 ₲67.6K

124.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$1.68 ₲9,529

126.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$0.73 ₲4,140

179.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.18 ₲6,684

39.83%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$19.0K ₲108.1M

16.42%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$23.2K ₲131.7M

10.62%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$35.18 ₲199.7K

107.62%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$7.84 ₲44.5K

107.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$14.12 ₲80.1K

95.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$3.49 ₲19.8K

111.75%

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

$182 PEN 624

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$24.94 ₲141.6K

110.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$1,524 ₲8.6M

60.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,014 ₲5.8M

35.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$507 ₲2.9M

28.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-10.60%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Lima pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

4,763

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,366 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Altos 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 295% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 125% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $996 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos 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.

Expats usually find Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 295% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.