Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Belmopan

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,089 in Belmopan, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Belmopan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Belmopan
🇧🇿 Belize
$1,089
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Belmopan

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Lima vs $1,089 in Belmopan, rent included.

  • Lima $996
  • Belmopan $1,089

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Lima vs $1,567 in Belmopan, rent included.

  • Lima $1,594
  • Belmopan $1,567

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Lima vs $2,046 in Belmopan, rent included.

  • Lima $2,191
  • Belmopan $2,046

Lima is about 9% cheaper than Belmopan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lima and Belmopan are more affordable than the global median – Lima 26% lower, Belmopan 19% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.16
$7.38 BZD 14.77
-40.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04 PEN 120
$17.41 BZD 34.83
101.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 PEN 23.44
$7.67 BZD 15.34
-10.82%
Cappuccino
$3.27 PEN 11.22
$5.37 BZD 10.75
-39.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 PEN 3.78
$0.59 BZD 1.18
86.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.22
$0.49 BZD 0.97
32.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PEN 8.85
$1.50 BZD 3.01
72.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 PEN 15.34
$2.18 BZD 4.36
105.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 PEN 5.46
$2.44 BZD 4.88
-34.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 PEN 8.86
$1.69 BZD 3.38
52.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 PEN 4.65
$1.65 BZD 3.30
-17.58%
Eggs
$2.95 PEN 10.11
$1.99 BZD 3.98
48.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 PEN 31.19
$8.57 BZD 17.13
6.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.81 PEN 19.91
$6.74 BZD 13.48
-13.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.83 PEN 33.68
$11.98 BZD 23.96
-17.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.89
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 PEN 3.69
$1.08 BZD 2.16
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$2.22 BZD 4.44
-38.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 PEN 5.06
$5.48 BZD 10.96
-72.99%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 PEN 3.30
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 PEN 2.92
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 PEN 3.02
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PEN 2.97
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.24
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 PEN 30.21
$17.22 BZD 34.44
-48.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 PEN 6.57
$2.32 BZD 4.64
-17.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 PEN 10.98
$2.20 BZD 4.41
45.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$4.05 BZD 8.11
-83.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.06
$3.25 BZD 6.51
17.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 PEN 7.00
$4.02 BZD 8.05
-49.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.14 PEN 24.49
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 PEN 5.65
$1.85 BZD 3.69
-10.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.0 PEN 250
$148 BZD 297
-50.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26 PEN 55.7
$49.03 BZD 98.1
-66.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60 PEN 94.6
$38.57 BZD 77.2
-28.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.07 PEN 113
$44.24 BZD 88.5
-25.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.39 PEN 25.33
$9.06 BZD 18.13
-18.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 624
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 PEN 180
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23 PEN 117
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 287
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 PEN 271
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Belmopan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 PEN 2,479
$450 BZD 900
60.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 PEN 1,166
$328 BZD 657
3.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 PEN 4,060
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$635 PEN 2,176
$550 BZD 1,099
15.49%
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
Belmopan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 PEN 2,237
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
0
-

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belmopan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$340
Belmopan
–
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Belmopan
–
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Belmopan
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Belmopan
–
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Belmopan
–
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Belmopan
–
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Belmopan
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $723 in Lima versus $450 in Belmopan. 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 $17.00 in Belmopan. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Lima vs $244 in Belmopan – so Lima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇿 Belmopan
🕒 Local time
06:56 6:56 AM
05:56 5:56 AM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
14,000 Capital
💱 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 Belmopan 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Belmopan

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 Belmopan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lima and in Belmopan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $996 in Lima, $1,089 in Belmopan – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Belmopan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Lima and $1,634 in Belmopan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lima and Belmopan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $17.00 in Belmopan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lima or Belmopan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $996 in Lima and $1,089 in Belmopan. That's a gap of about 9%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Belmopan at $1,089. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belmopan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Belmopan?
It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $996 in Lima to $1,089 in Belmopan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lima or Belmopan safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Lima and Belmopan?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belmopan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lima vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?