Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Brea, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $3,716 in Brea, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
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Brea, CA Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Brea, 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 Brea, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $3,716 in Brea, CA.

Lima $1,014
Brea, CA $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $5,124 in Brea, CA.

Lima $1,613
Brea, CA $5,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $6,532 in Brea, CA.

Lima $2,211
Brea, CA $6,532

Living in Lima costs roughly 73% less than in Brea, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Brea, CA is 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$25.18 $25.18

-82.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$78.5 $78.5

-56.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$12.18 $12.18

-44.17%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$5.59 $5.59

-40.97%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$2.69 $2.69

-60.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$1.98 $1.98

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$7.34 $7.34

-65.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$9.46 $9.46

-55.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.18 $1.18

33.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$5.29 $5.29

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$4.41 $4.41

-69.61%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$4.86 $4.86

-39.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$15.38 $15.38

-38.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$8.87 $8.87

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$13.91 $13.91

-30.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$4.66 $4.66

-56.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.80 $1.80

-40.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$4.30 $4.30

-68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$5.77 $5.77

-74.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$3.61 $3.61

-73.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$3.07 $3.07

-70.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$2.14 $2.14

-57.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$2.18 $2.18

-59.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$11.95 $11.95

-51.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$15.14 $15.14

-39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.77 $1.77

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$3.21 $3.21

-3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$4.58 $4.58

-22.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$1.81 $1.81

14.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$36.28 $36.28

-78.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.57 $1.57

8.92%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$27.8K $27.8K

-22.29%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

9.85%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$218 $218

-68.71%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$70.8 $70.8

-77.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$69.1 $69.1

-61.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$30.08 $30.08

12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$20.02 $20.02

0.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$19.98 $19.98

-63.86%

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

$201 PEN 689

$1,162 $1,162

-82.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$42.8K $42.8K

-69.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$62.2 $62.2

-13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$41.12 $41.12

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$80.9 $80.9

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$104 $104

-24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$2,241 $2,241

-67.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$2,354 $2,354

-85.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$3,133 $3,133

-62.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$3,521 $3,521

-80.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$5,884 $5,884

-59.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$6,172 $6,172

-78.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

$9,939 $9,939

-93.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

6.31

39.14%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4% 575% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Brea, CA

$411 11.1% 81% $184

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Brea, CA

$379 10.2% 207% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Brea, CA

$130 3.5% 14.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Brea, CA

$358 9.6% 224% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Brea, CA

$70 1.9% 44.7% $22

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4% 68.2% $29

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 $729 in Lima and $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1399% 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 $79.0 in Brea, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $411 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

38,585

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Brea, CA 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Brea, 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 Brea, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 266% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1399% lower in Brea, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $1,162 in Brea, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $79.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $3,716 in Brea, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,014 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lima and Brea, CA 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 266% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.