Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Antiguo Cuscatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan: $811 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Antiguo Cuscatlan
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Antiguo Cuscatlan Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Antiguo Cuscatlan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Antiguo Cuscatlan

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Antiguo Cuscatlan $811

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,302 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,302

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $1,792 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,792

Lima costs about 25% more than Antiguo Cuscatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and Antiguo Cuscatlan are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Antiguo Cuscatlan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.11

$6.87 $6.87

-35.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$44.31 $44.31

-20.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.66

$7.18 $7.18

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.21

$3.50 $3.50

-6.86%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.12 $1.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.82 $0.82

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.10

$2.02 $2.02

31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.61 $3.61

22.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.85 $1.85

-11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.88 $2.88

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.40 $1.40

-3.57%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.94 $2.94

-1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.39

$7.63 $7.63

15.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.53

$6.83 $6.83

-12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.61

$10.44 $10.44

-6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.03

$4.93 $4.93

-58.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.38 $1.38

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.58 $2.58

-47.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.16

$3.40 $3.40

-55.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.97 $2.97

-70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.33 $3.33

-72.37%

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

$4.10 $4.10

43.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.27

$12.10 $12.10

-29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.18 $2.18

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.88 $2.88

11.81%

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

$6.03 $6.03

-36.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$2.91 $2.91

-30.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.42

$20.05 $20.05

-64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.25 $1.25

37.60%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

-9.41%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

-6.49%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$131 $131

-44.40%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$21.05 $21.05

-22.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.4

$41.80 $41.80

-34.28%

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

$4.85 $4.85

45.36%

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

$182 PEN 627

$166 $166

10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$4,657 $4,657

179.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$67.2 $67.2

-19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$47.90 $47.90

-28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 285

$119 $119

-30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$115 $115

-31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,478

$598 $598

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,188

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,236

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,296

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,227

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$285 35.2% 26.3% $59

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$144 17.7% 15.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$194 24% 66.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$157 19.4% 40.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$9.7 * 1.2% 78.9% $36

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$21 * 2.5% 52.6% $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 $598 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $285 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇸🇻 Antiguo Cuscatlan

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

33,767

💱 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

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Between locations

Lima Antiguo Cuscatlan 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Antiguo Cuscatlan

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,012 in Lima, $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,216 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Lima – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antiguo Cuscatlan, where all-in costs run around $811, than in Lima at $1,012. In Antiguo Cuscatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima 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 $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan to $1,012 in Lima. 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 Antiguo Cuscatlan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.