Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Belize City

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,218 in Belize City, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Belize City
🇧🇿 Belize
$1,218
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Belize City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,218 in Belize City.

  • Lima $996
  • Belize City $1,218

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,805 in Belize City.

  • Lima $1,594
  • Belize City $1,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,391 in Belize City.

  • Lima $2,191
  • Belize City $2,391

Living in Lima costs roughly 18% less than in Belize City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Belize City 9% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.16
$6.34 BZD 12.67
-30.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04 PEN 120
$49.01 BZD 98.0
-28.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 PEN 23.44
$9.56 BZD 19.12
-28.45%
Cappuccino
$3.27 PEN 11.22
$3.52 BZD 7.04
-7.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 PEN 3.78
$1.67 BZD 3.33
-34.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.22
$1.40 BZD 2.80
-53.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PEN 8.85
$2.53 BZD 5.05
1.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 PEN 15.34
$2.96 BZD 5.92
51.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 PEN 5.46
$3.71 BZD 7.43
-57.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 PEN 8.86
$2.49 BZD 4.98
3.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 PEN 4.65
$3.39 BZD 6.79
-59.88%
Eggs
$2.95 PEN 10.11
$3.54 BZD 7.08
-16.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 PEN 31.19
$6.61 BZD 13.23
37.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.81 PEN 19.91
$9.69 BZD 19.38
-40.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.83 PEN 33.68
$9.02 BZD 18.04
8.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.89
$2.79 BZD 5.58
-27.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 PEN 3.69
$1.83 BZD 3.66
-40.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$2.79 BZD 5.57
-50.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 PEN 5.06
$2.95 BZD 5.90
-49.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 PEN 3.30
$4.14 BZD 8.28
-76.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 PEN 2.92
$2.82 BZD 5.65
-69.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 PEN 3.02
$2.32 BZD 4.64
-62.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PEN 2.97
$1.53 BZD 3.05
-43.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.24
$4.56 BZD 9.11
29.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 PEN 30.21
$9.72 BZD 19.44
-9.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 PEN 6.57
$2.40 BZD 4.81
-20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 PEN 10.98
$2.13 BZD 4.25
50.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Belize City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$4.04 BZD 8.07
-83.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.06
$5.06 BZD 10.12
-24.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 PEN 7.00
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.14 PEN 24.49
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 PEN 5.65
$2.50 BZD 4.99
-34.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
$10.5K BZD 21.0K
111.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.0 PEN 250
$367 BZD 734
-80.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26 PEN 55.7
$49.86 BZD 99.7
-67.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60 PEN 94.6
$27.07 BZD 54.2
1.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.07 PEN 113
$25.19 BZD 50.4
31.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 PEN 66.8
$2.42 BZD 4.83
705.37%
Cinema Ticket
$7.39 PEN 25.33
$4.88 BZD 9.76
51.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 624
$65.3 BZD 131
178.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
$666 BZD 1,332
1900.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 PEN 180
$32.73 BZD 65.5
60.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23 PEN 117
$24.42 BZD 48.84
40.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 287
$36.85 BZD 73.7
127.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 PEN 271
$37.54 BZD 75.1
110.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Belize City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 PEN 2,479
$349 BZD 697
107.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 PEN 1,166
$191 BZD 382
78.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 PEN 4,060
$575 BZD 1,150
106.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$635 PEN 2,176
$326 BZD 653
94.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,449 PEN 8,394
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,372 PEN 4,702
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Belize City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 PEN 2,237
$845 BZD 1,691
-22.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
11.5
-22.26%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belize City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$340
Belize City
$191 43.9% $149
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Belize City
$317 40.2% $91
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Belize City
$152 22.9% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Belize City
$444 280% $327
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Belize City
$59 47.3% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Belize City
$35 27% $13
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Belize City
$21 * 51.2% $22

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 $723 in Lima and $349 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 30% 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 $49.00 in Belize City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $317 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇿 Belize City
🕒 Local time
06:01 6:01 AM
05:01 5:01 AM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
63,999
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

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).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Belize City 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Belize City

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 Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Belize City?
Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lima or in Belize City?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Belize City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lima compared to Belize City?
Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $349 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Lima or in Belize City?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Lima compared to Belize City?
All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $1,218 in Belize City – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lima or in Belize City?
At $996 in Lima versus $1,218 in Belize City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Belize City. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lima or Belize City?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $996 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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