Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Arapiraca

For one person, living is cheaper in Arapiraca: $907 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Arapiraca
🇧🇷 Brazil
$907
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Arapiraca

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $907 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Lima $1,012
  • Arapiraca $907

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,418 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Lima $1,589
  • Arapiraca $1,418

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $1,929 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Lima $2,167
  • Arapiraca $1,929

Lima costs about 12% more than Arapiraca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and Arapiraca are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Arapiraca 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 PEN 15.08
$5.72 R$28.75
-23.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17 PEN 121
$38.55 R$194
-8.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 PEN 23.61
$10.20 R$51.3
-32.45%
Cappuccino
$3.26 PEN 11.18
$2.61 R$13.14
24.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 PEN 3.83
$1.11 R$5.57
0.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.11
$0.59 R$2.97
5.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 PEN 9.08
$1.57 R$7.89
68.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 PEN 15.12
$3.30 R$16.60
33.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 PEN 5.60
$1.44 R$7.22
13.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PEN 8.76
$1.62 R$8.13
58.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.64
$1.68 R$8.44
-19.64%
Eggs
$2.90 PEN 9.94
$1.96 R$9.86
47.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 PEN 30.32
$7.37 R$37.05
20.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 PEN 20.48
$4.47 R$22.49
33.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 PEN 33.53
$8.14 R$40.94
20.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 PEN 7.01
$1.37 R$6.88
49.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 PEN 3.65
$1.41 R$7.08
-24.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.63
$0.75 R$3.76
80.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 PEN 5.14
$1.22 R$6.13
22.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 PEN 3.02
$1.49 R$7.48
-40.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 PEN 3.15
$1.12 R$5.61
-17.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 PEN 3.06
$0.52 R$2.63
71.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.85 R$4.26
5.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.24
$1.75 R$8.82
237.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 PEN 29.21
$7.87 R$39.58
8.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 PEN 6.44
$1.14 R$5.74
64.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 PEN 11.03
$1.54 R$7.73
109.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$0.93 R$4.69
-26.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.86 PEN 92.1
$47.94 R$241
-43.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.07
$1.21 R$6.10
214.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 PEN 6.92
$0.73 R$3.64
176.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.11 PEN 24.37
$3.57 R$17.96
99.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 PEN 5.89
$1.31 R$6.59
31.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K PEN 76.5K
$24.1K R$121.2K
-7.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K PEN 87.4K
$33.0K R$165.8K
-22.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 PEN 250
$115 R$576
-36.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35 PEN 56.1
$13.41 R$67.4
21.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 PEN 94.2
$17.84 R$89.7
53.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.90 PEN 109
$26.20 R$132
21.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 PEN 66.6
$27.76 R$140
-30.08%
Cinema Ticket
$7.05 PEN 24.18
$7.00 R$35.18
0.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 626
$285 R$1,433
-35.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K PEN 44.7K
$12.1K R$60.9K
7.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 PEN 184
$46.33 R$233
16.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32 PEN 118
$50.9 R$256
-32.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 PEN 284
$75.3 R$379
9.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 PEN 268
$81.8 R$411
-4.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 PEN 2,472
$328 R$1,649
119.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$343 PEN 1,177
$239 R$1,202
43.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 PEN 4,178
$741 R$3,725
64.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 PEN 2,231
$431 R$2,164
51.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,414 PEN 8,277
$1,963 R$9,867
23.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,357 PEN 4,652
$1,303 R$6,550
4.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Arapiraca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 PEN 2,222
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
11.75
-23.91%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arapiraca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343
Arapiraca
$239 30.4% $104
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Arapiraca
$182 19.5% $44
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Arapiraca
$129 4% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Arapiraca
$146 24.7% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Arapiraca
$114 2.1% $2.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46
Arapiraca
$40 12.6% $5.8
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Arapiraca
$57 30% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $328 in Arapiraca. 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 $39.00 in Arapiraca. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Lima vs $182 in Arapiraca – so Arapiraca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇷 Arapiraca
🕒 Local time
06:04 6:04 AM
08:04 8:04 AM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
234,696
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Arapiraca 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Arapiraca

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 Arapiraca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lima and in Arapiraca compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,012 in Lima, $907 in Arapiraca – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Arapiraca?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,360 in Arapiraca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lima and Arapiraca?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arapiraca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Arapiraca?
Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $285 in Arapiraca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Lima, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arapiraca, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Lima at $1,012. In Arapiraca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Arapiraca?
It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $907 in Arapiraca to $1,012 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Lima and Arapiraca?
If budget matters most, go with Arapiraca. 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.

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