Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Cartago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,713 in Cartago.

Lima $1,012
Cartago $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,362 in Cartago.

Lima $1,589
Cartago $2,362

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,011 in Cartago.

Lima $2,167
Cartago $3,011

Living in Lima costs roughly 41% less than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Cartago is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.13

$8.64 ₡3,880

-49.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$34.53 ₡15.5K

1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.69

$9.92 ₡4,455

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.22

$4.54 ₡2,039

-28.19%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.13 ₡956

-47.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$1.36 ₡611

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.11

$2.15 ₡966

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.17

$4.06 ₡1,822

8.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.62

$2.39 ₡1,074

-31.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.79

$2.37 ₡1,066

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.66

$2.47 ₡1,111

-45.34%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.97

$3.57 ₡1,603

-18.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.43

$8.61 ₡3,866

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.55

$10.38 ₡4,661

-42.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.65

$13.94 ₡6,261

-29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.04

$5.24 ₡2,355

-60.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.29 ₡580

-17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$4.49 ₡2,017

-69.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.16

$2.91 ₡1,308

-48.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.24 ₡1,005

-60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.16

$2.17 ₡973

-57.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$1.09 ₡488

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$2.18 ₡979

-58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$6.07 ₡2,726

-2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.31

$15.16 ₡6,807

-43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.46

$2.89 ₡1,297

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.07

$2.03 ₡913

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.34

$1.37 ₡613

-50.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.4

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-63.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.11

$1.33 ₡599

186.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.94

$1.56 ₡703

29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.45

$8.95 ₡4,021

-20.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$1.51 ₡678

13.91%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

2.85%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.7K

$35.1K ₡15.8M

-27.38%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$52.4 ₡23.5K

39.37%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$35.12 ₡15.8K

-53.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.5

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-54.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-56.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.8

$77.8 ₡34.9K

-75.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.27

$7.27 ₡3,267

-3.03%

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

$182 PEN 628

$549 ₡246.5K

-66.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.9K

$7,878 ₡3.5M

65.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$70.1 ₡31.5K

-23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$56.5 ₡25.4K

-39.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 285

$121 ₡54.5K

-31.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$87.7 ₡39.4K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,481

$923 ₡414.7K

-21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,181

$704 ₡316.3K

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,193

$1,869 ₡839.2K

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,239

$724 ₡325.2K

-10.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,306

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,668

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,229

$1,344 ₡603.7K

-51.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.62

3.71%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Cartago

$704 41.1% 105% $361

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Cartago

$348 20.3% 54.1% $122

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Cartago

$186 10.9% 50.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Cartago

$147 8.6% 26.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Cartago

$151 8.8% 34.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Cartago

$88 5.2% 91.9% $42

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 102% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $923 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 107% 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 $35.00 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $348 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

110,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Cartago 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Cartago. 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: $721 in Lima versus $923 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lima runs roughly 172% less than in Cartago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $549 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,713 in Cartago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Cartago. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Cartago 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 69% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.