Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ayacucho Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ayacucho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $491 in Ayacucho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $793 in Ayacucho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $1,095 in Ayacucho.

Living in Lima is roughly 107% more expensive than in Ayacucho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Ayacucho 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.59

$1.76 PEN 5.90

147.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.58

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.84

$1.76 PEN 5.89

83.52%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.79

$0.86 PEN 2.89

31.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.31 PEN 1.05

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 8.99

$1.50 PEN 5.04

78.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.19

$4.39 PEN 14.72

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.50

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.50

$0.61 PEN 2.06

119.67%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.24

$1.73 PEN 5.81

76.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.22

$2.92 PEN 9.78

208.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.87

$4.41 PEN 14.78

34.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.87

$5.91 PEN 19.80

65.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.03

$1.22 PEN 4.08

72.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.53

$0.61 PEN 2.05

72.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.87

$0.60 PEN 2.02

141.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.03

$0.56 PEN 1.88

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.10

$0.29 PEN 0.97

220.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.16

$0.31 PEN 1.04

203.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.00

$0.31 PEN 1.06

187.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.19

$0.85 PEN 2.86

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.50

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.26

$5.77 PEN 19.36

56.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.50

$2.98 PEN 10.01

-34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.82

$4.45 PEN 14.91

-27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.30

$0.60 PEN 2.02

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.2

$36.11 PEN 121

-24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.07

$2.32 PEN 7.80

68.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.81

$1.21 PEN 4.06

67.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 24.97

$4.58 PEN 15.35

62.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.75

$1.79 PEN 6.01

-4.47%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

$10.5K PEN 35.1K

112.10%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.6K

$12.6K PEN 42.1K

112.68%

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

$71.1 PEN 238

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

$16.93 PEN 56.8

$11.94 PEN 40.05

41.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 94.9

$17.97 PEN 60.3

57.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 113

$15.11 PEN 50.7

123.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 66.9

$30.03 PEN 101

-33.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.23

$4.35 PEN 14.57

66.21%

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

$181 PEN 606

$73.7 PEN 247

145.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 181

$17.68 PEN 59.3

205.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 119

$26.24 PEN 88.0

35.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 288

$103 PEN 344

-16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 272

$105 PEN 354

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,543

$353 PEN 1,184

114.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,162

$89.4 PEN 300

287.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,205

$880 PEN 2,951

42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,165

$234 PEN 784

176.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,312

$1,981 PEN 6,644

25.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

$1,755 PEN 5,885

-20.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,242

$490 PEN 1,643

36.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $353 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $759 in Lima versus $353 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $73.7 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ayacucho runs roughly 33% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $491 in Ayacucho versus $1,016 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ayacucho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayacucho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lima and Ayacucho 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 Ayacucho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.