Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Castanhal

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $846 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Castanhal
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Castanhal Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Castanhal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $846 in Castanhal.

Lima $996
Castanhal $846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,353 in Castanhal.

Lima $1,594
Castanhal $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $1,860 in Castanhal.

Lima $2,191
Castanhal $1,860

Living in Lima is roughly 18% more expensive than in Castanhal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Castanhal 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$5.62 R$28.07

-21.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$30.48 R$152

14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$7.34 R$36.62

-6.81%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$1.87 R$9.33

74.87%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$1.28 R$6.38

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.77 R$3.82

-15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$1.94 R$9.70

32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$2.86 R$14.27

56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.04 R$5.17

52.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$1.63 R$8.16

58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.20 R$6.00

13.33%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.16 R$10.78

36.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$9.24 R$46.14

-1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$4.06 R$20.26

43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$8.17 R$40.80

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.13 R$10.65

-5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.27 R$6.35

-14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.13 R$5.62

21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.51 R$7.53

-1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.19 R$5.95

-19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.03 R$5.13

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.76 R$3.80

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$0.73 R$3.67

19.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$2.41 R$12.05

144.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$7.63 R$38.11

15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.19 R$5.95

61.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.02 R$10.11

58.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.00 R$4.98

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$41.71 R$208

-35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$1.27 R$6.33

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$0.88 R$4.37

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$7.60 R$37.92

-6.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.25 R$6.23

32.00%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$23.2K R$115.6K

-4.27%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$31.1K R$155.1K

-17.41%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$72.8 R$363

0.37%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$11.79 R$58.9

37.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$20.26 R$101

36.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$24.64 R$123

34.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$26.02 R$130

-25.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$6.86 R$34.26

7.73%

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

$182 PEN 624

$286 R$1,425

-36.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$6,904 R$34.5K

92.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$52.6 R$263

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$48.01 R$240

-28.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$92.7 R$463

-9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$69.2 R$345

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$345 R$1,721

109.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$233 R$1,164

45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$645 R$3,220

83.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$461 R$2,303

37.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$1,571 R$7,844

55.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,125 R$5,617

21.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-18.73%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Castanhal

$233 27.6% 31.4% $107

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Castanhal

$186 22% 17.9% $41

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Castanhal

$113 13.4% 8.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Castanhal

$105 12.4% 10.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Castanhal

$118 14% 5.2% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Castanhal

$38 4.5% 19.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Castanhal

$51 6.1% 18.1% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $345 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $30.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $186 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

192,256

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Castanhal 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Castanhal

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,494 in Lima and $1,269 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $345 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $35.00 in Lima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $846 in Castanhal – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Castanhal versus $996 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.