Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Arenal

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,673 in Arenal, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Arenal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,673 in Arenal.

Lima $1,012
Arenal $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,631 in Arenal.

Lima $1,589
Arenal $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,589 in Arenal.

Lima $2,167
Arenal $3,589

Living in Lima costs roughly 40% less than in Arenal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Arenal is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.08

$12.02 ₡5,402

-63.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$60.8 ₡27.3K

-42.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.61

$11.74 ₡5,277

-41.31%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.19

$4.53 ₡2,034

-28.04%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$2.75 ₡1,235

-59.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.94 ₡870

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.08

$3.34 ₡1,500

-20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.12

$4.34 ₡1,951

1.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.60

$2.31 ₡1,037

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.76

$3.14 ₡1,411

-18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.50 ₡1,125

-46.00%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.94

$3.46 ₡1,554

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.33

$10.58 ₡4,753

-16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.49

$10.24 ₡4,600

-41.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.54

$14.10 ₡6,337

-30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.01

$5.16 ₡2,317

-60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$1.60 ₡718

-33.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$4.62 ₡2,076

-70.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.14

$3.79 ₡1,702

-60.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$3.84 ₡1,724

-77.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.71 ₡1,669

-75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.08 ₡486

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$3.17 ₡1,424

-71.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$5.82 ₡2,616

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.21

$19.68 ₡8,841

-56.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.44

$2.80 ₡1,257

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.03

$3.62 ₡1,628

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.40 ₡627

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.07

$2.50 ₡1,125

52.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$1.57 ₡707

28.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.37

$8.48 ₡3,812

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.90

$1.58 ₡708

8.86%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

$22.1K ₡9.9M

0.86%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.41%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-22.49%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-54.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.2

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-53.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 109

$78.2 ₡35.2K

-59.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.19

$7.51 ₡3,373

-6.13%

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

$182 PEN 626

$989 ₡444.4K

-81.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-22.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 184

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$131 ₡59.0K

-36.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 268

$131 ₡58.8K

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,472

$796 ₡357.7K

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,177

$570 ₡256.2K

-39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,179

$1,638 ₡736.2K

-25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,231

$1,091 ₡490.3K

-40.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,278

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,653

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,222

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.62

3.71%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arenal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Arenal

$570 34.1% 66% $227

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Arenal

$398 23.8% 76.3% $172

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Arenal

$230 13.7% 85.4% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Arenal

$189 11.3% 62% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Arenal

$176 10.5% 57% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Arenal

$93 5.6% 103% $47

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Arenal

$16 * 1% 63.3% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $796 in Arenal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $61.0 in Arenal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $398 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Arenal

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

2,300

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Arenal 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Arenal

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 Arenal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,518 in Lima and $2,509 in Arenal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $796 in Arenal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $989 in Arenal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Arenal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,673 in Arenal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Arenal. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arenal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Arenal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Arenal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.