Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Berkeley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $34,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
188

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley, CA
Learn more

Berkeley, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Berkeley, CA

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Berkeley, CA $3,878

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $5,546 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Berkeley, CA $5,546

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $7,215 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Berkeley, CA $7,215

Lima is about 74% cheaper than Berkeley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Berkeley, CA is 187% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$22.39 $22.39

-80.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$80.3 $80.3

-56.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$10.52 $10.52

-34.51%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$6.07 $6.07

-46.29%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$3.25 $3.25

-65.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$3.08 $3.08

-79.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$5.90 $5.90

-55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$7.65 $7.65

-42.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$2.00 $2.00

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$4.54 $4.54

-43.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$5.74 $5.74

-76.48%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$6.07 $6.07

-52.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$26.78 $26.78

-66.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$16.58 $16.58

-63.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$21.69 $21.69

-54.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$7.14 $7.14

-71.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.57 $2.57

-58.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$6.21 $6.21

-78.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$10.45 $10.45

-85.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$3.58 $3.58

-75.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$4.84 $4.84

-80.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.53 $2.53

-64.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$3.08 $3.08

-70.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$11.57 $11.57

-49.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$12.82 $12.82

-33.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.06 $2.06

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.78 $2.78

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.47 $2.47

-72.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$93.1 $93.1

-71.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$3.41 $3.41

11.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.89 $1.89

6.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$39.52 $39.52

-82.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.47 $1.47

17.01%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$37.7K $37.7K

-40.75%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.14%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$180 $180

-59.46%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$61.7 $61.7

-73.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$76.7 $76.7

-64.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$49.54 $49.54

-35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$7.94 $7.94

144.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$15.27 $15.27

-53.83%

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

$182 PEN 627

$2,565 $2,565

-92.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$35.2K $35.2K

-62.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$71.2 $71.2

-24.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$70.5 $70.5

-51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$96.2 $96.2

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$235 $235

-66.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$2,594 $2,594

-72.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$2,219 $2,219

-84.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$4,778 $4,778

-74.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$3,487 $3,487

-81.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$8,047 $8,047

-69.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$7,245 $7,245

-81.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$6,775 $6,775

-90.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

6.62

35.05%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berkeley, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2% 546% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9% 156% $352

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1% 185% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2% 173% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5% 89.7% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1% 74% $34

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Berkeley, CA

$116 3% 167% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $2,594 in Berkeley, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 945% higher in Berkeley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $80.0 in Berkeley, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $578 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

121,363

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Berkeley, CA 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Berkeley, CA

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 Berkeley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 283%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $5,817 in Berkeley, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 247% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $2,565 in Berkeley, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.