Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Canelones

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $1,997 in Canelones, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Canelones
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,997
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Canelones

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Lima vs $1,997 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Canelones $1,997

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Lima vs $2,195 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Canelones $2,195

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Lima vs $2,394 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Canelones $2,394

Lima is about 49% cheaper than Canelones, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Canelones is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$14.97 UYU 601
-70.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$50.3 UYU 2,018
-31.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$14.33 UYU 575
-52.55%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$4.05 UYU 163
-18.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$2.72 UYU 109
-61.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$2.07 UYU 83.1
-68.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$4.62 UYU 185
-45.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$2.96 UYU 119
43.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.38 UYU 55.6
14.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$2.83 UYU 114
-7.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.72 UYU 68.9
-22.09%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$4.44 UYU 178
-34.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$13.98 UYU 561
-32.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$11.55 UYU 464
-50.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$11.93 UYU 479
-18.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$2.76 UYU 111
-26.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$2.76 UYU 111
-61.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$1.74 UYU 69.6
-21.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$3.20 UYU 128
-54.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$1.91 UYU 76.5
-50.26%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$2.07 UYU 83.3
-56.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$1.38 UYU 55.5
-34.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$1.91 UYU 76.6
-53.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$5.49 UYU 220
4.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$8.55 UYU 343
7.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$2.36 UYU 94.7
-22.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$2.83 UYU 113
9.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Canelones
Difference
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
$1.91 UYU 76.6
85.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
$0.40 UYU 16.04
417.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
$10.60 UYU 426
-26.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.91 UYU 76.8
-10.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$26.0K UYU 1.0M
-16.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$35.7K UYU 1.4M
-19.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$191 UYU 7,674
-64.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$20.54 UYU 824
-23.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$45.11 UYU 1,810
-41.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$68.4 UYU 2,747
-50.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$12.45 UYU 500
-42.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$627 UYU 25.2K
-67.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$11.0K UYU 443.0K
16.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$102 UYU 4,090
-47.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$49.03 UYU 1,968
-26.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$111 UYU 4,453
-24.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$132 UYU 5,303
-40.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Canelones
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$878 UYU 35.2K
-60.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
$3,960 UYU 158.9K
-40.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Canelones
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
$873 UYU 35.0K
-24.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
5.74
52.96%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Canelones: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Canelones
$878 152% $529
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Canelones
$328 44.5% $101
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Canelones
$260 110% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Canelones
$177 56.3% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Canelones
$257 133% $146
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Canelones
$93 92.9% $45
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Canelones
$3.9 * 90.9% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 32% higher in Canelones, 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 $50.0 in Canelones. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $328 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇺🇾 Canelones
🕒 Local time
10:41 10:41 AM
12:41 12:41 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
19,865
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Canelones 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Canelones

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 Canelones: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canelones cheaper than Lima?
Yes – Canelones is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Lima and $2,996 in Canelones. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Lima and in Canelones?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Lima and $1,997 in Canelones. That's a gap of about 97%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Lima and $627 in Canelones. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lima or in Canelones?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Canelones at $1,997. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canelones it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lima or Canelones more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Lima or Canelones?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canelones 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?