Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Belem

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $937 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $710 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Belem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $937 in Belem.

Lima $996
Belem $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,424 in Belem.

Lima $1,594
Belem $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $1,911 in Belem.

Lima $2,191
Belem $1,911

Living in Lima is roughly 6% more expensive than in Belem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Belem 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$4.94 R$24.66

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$20.41 R$102

71.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$6.80 R$33.96

0.59%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$1.90 R$9.48

72.11%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$1.06 R$5.28

3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.51 R$2.56

27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$1.59 R$7.91

62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$2.36 R$11.80

89.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.40 R$7.01

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.48 R$12.40

4.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.32 R$6.59

3.03%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.14 R$10.71

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$9.20 R$45.91

-1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$4.53 R$22.64

28.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$7.55 R$37.70

30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.30 R$11.49

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.43 R$7.15

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.49 R$7.42

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.75 R$8.73

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.09 R$5.45

-11.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$0.63 R$3.14

34.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.29 R$6.45

-31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.43 R$7.13

-39.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$2.65 R$13.21

122.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$9.94 R$49.60

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.45 R$7.25

32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$5.07 R$25.31

-36.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.97 R$4.82

-29.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$34.73 R$173

-23.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$1.17 R$5.86

225.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$1.17 R$5.83

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$8.36 R$41.71

-14.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.32 R$6.57

25.00%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$23.9K R$119.3K

-7.20%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$32.5K R$162.3K

-21.07%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$98.6 R$492

-25.89%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$11.52 R$57.5

41.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$31.16 R$156

-11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$21.62 R$108

52.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$39.31 R$196

-50.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$7.82 R$39.04

-5.50%

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

$182 PEN 624

$111 R$556

63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$3,464 R$17.3K

284.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$32.02 R$160

64.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$45.64 R$228

-25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$83.2 R$415

0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$66.9 R$334

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$529 R$2,642

36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$290 R$1,450

17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$889 R$4,436

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$538 R$2,684

18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$2,003 R$9,997

22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,403 R$7,005

-2.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$422 R$2,105

54.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.48

-22.13%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Belem

$290 30.8% 14.6% $50

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Belem

$225 23.8% 0.8% $1.8

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Belem

$102 10.8% 18.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Belem

$141 15% 20.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Belem

$103 10.9% 8.7% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Belem

$37 4% 22.1% $11

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Belem

$46 4.8% 4.9% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $529 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 55% 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 $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $225 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇧🇷 Belem

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

1,303,403

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Belem 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Belem

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $723 in Lima versus $529 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 30% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $111 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Belem versus $996 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.