Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Aracaju

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $746 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Aracaju
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Aracaju Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Aracaju

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Aracaju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $746 in Aracaju.

Lima $1,012
Aracaju $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,168 in Aracaju.

Lima $1,589
Aracaju $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $1,590 in Aracaju.

Lima $2,167
Aracaju $1,590

Living in Lima is roughly 36% more expensive than in Aracaju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Aracaju 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.08

$4.94 R$24.85

-10.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$24.53 R$123

43.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.61

$6.17 R$31.02

11.67%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.18

$1.74 R$8.73

87.36%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$1.18 R$5.91

-5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.67 R$3.36

-7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.08

$1.95 R$9.79

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.12

$2.82 R$14.20

56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.60

$1.05 R$5.28

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.76

$1.53 R$7.70

67.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.21 R$6.10

11.57%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.94

$1.68 R$8.46

72.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.32

$7.70 R$38.72

14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.48

$3.79 R$19.04

57.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.53

$7.42 R$37.30

31.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.01

$2.15 R$10.79

-4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$1.31 R$6.60

-19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$0.73 R$3.66

84.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.14

$1.02 R$5.14

47.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.97 R$4.90

-9.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$0.91 R$4.59

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$0.51 R$2.57

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.76 R$3.81

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$2.34 R$11.77

152.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.21

$6.12 R$30.76

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.44

$1.28 R$6.46

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.03

$2.03 R$10.22

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.94 R$4.71

-27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

$42.85 R$215

-37.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.07

$1.68 R$8.46

126.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$1.22 R$6.11

65.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.37

$6.92 R$34.76

2.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.89

$1.27 R$6.37

35.43%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

$23.4K R$117.7K

-4.71%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

$34.2K R$171.7K

-25.33%

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

$73.1 PEN 250

$96.5 R$485

-24.30%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.1

$9.68 R$48.63

68.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.2

$17.43 R$87.6

57.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 109

$22.93 R$115

39.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

$27.44 R$138

-29.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.18

$6.45 R$32.41

9.30%

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

$182 PEN 626

$188 R$944

-2.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

$5,306 R$26.7K

145.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 184

$58.9 R$296

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$35.28 R$177

-2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$87.6 R$440

-5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 268

$82.6 R$415

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,472

$313 R$1,573

130.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,177

$145 R$727

137.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,178

$639 R$3,210

90.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,231

$277 R$1,392

135.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,277

$1,301 R$6,537

85.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,652

$903 R$4,539

50.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,222

$453 R$2,279

42.95%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Aracaju

$145 19.4% 57.9% $199

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Aracaju

$167 22.4% 26.1% $59

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Aracaju

$102 13.6% 18% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Aracaju

$124 16.6% 5.8% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Aracaju

$119 15.9% 6.1% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Aracaju

$36 4.8% 22.1% $10

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Aracaju

$54 7.3% 25% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $313 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 43% 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: $35.00 in Lima vs $25.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $167 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇧🇷 Aracaju

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

602,757

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Aracaju 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Aracaju

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Aracaju differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $746 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $313 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $188 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Aracaju versus $1,012 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.