Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cerritos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Cerritos, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,104
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Lima vs $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $996
  • Cerritos, CA $3,104

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Lima vs $3,246 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $1,594
  • Cerritos, CA $3,246

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Lima vs $3,389 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $2,191
  • Cerritos, CA $3,389

Lima is about 68% cheaper than Cerritos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 26% below the global median, while Cerritos, CA is 132% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.16
$25.23 $25.23
-82.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04 PEN 120
$102 $102
-65.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 PEN 23.44
$15.93 $15.93
-57.06%
Cappuccino
$3.27 PEN 11.22
$5.61 $5.61
-41.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 PEN 3.78
$3.12 $3.12
-64.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.22
$2.69 $2.69
-75.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PEN 8.85
$8.20 $8.20
-68.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 PEN 15.34
$9.98 $9.98
-55.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 PEN 5.46
$1.33 $1.33
19.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 PEN 8.86
$4.90 $4.90
-47.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 PEN 4.65
$4.57 $4.57
-70.24%
Eggs
$2.95 PEN 10.11
$5.78 $5.78
-48.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 PEN 31.19
$11.63 $11.63
-21.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.81 PEN 19.91
$8.87 $8.87
-34.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.83 PEN 33.68
$19.30 $19.30
-49.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.89
$4.68 $4.68
-57.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 PEN 3.69
$2.53 $2.53
-57.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$4.50 $4.50
-69.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 PEN 5.06
$5.53 $5.53
-73.24%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 PEN 3.30
$3.15 $3.15
-69.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 PEN 2.92
$2.90 $2.90
-70.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 PEN 3.02
$2.02 $2.02
-56.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PEN 2.97
$2.52 $2.52
-65.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.24
$11.81 $11.81
-50.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 PEN 30.21
$14.89 $14.89
-40.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 PEN 6.57
$2.50 $2.50
-23.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 PEN 10.98
$2.78 $2.78
15.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.06
$3.15 $3.15
20.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 PEN 7.00
$1.83 $1.83
11.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.14 PEN 24.49
$32.22 $32.22
-77.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 PEN 5.65
$1.61 $1.61
2.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
$36.5K $36.5K
-39.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
$25.7K $25.7K
0.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.0 PEN 250
$221 $221
-66.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26 PEN 55.7
$76.4 $76.4
-78.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60 PEN 94.6
$80.8 $80.8
-65.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.07 PEN 113
$119 $119
-72.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.39 PEN 25.33
$20.17 $20.17
-63.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 624
$1,157 $1,157
-84.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
$32.8K $32.8K
-59.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 PEN 180
$62.7 $62.7
-16.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23 PEN 117
$47.80 $47.80
-28.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 287
$114 $114
-26.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 PEN 271
$102 $102
-22.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 PEN 2,479
$1,968 $1,968
-63.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 PEN 1,166
$1,624 $1,624
-79.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 PEN 4,060
$3,556 $3,556
-66.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$635 PEN 2,176
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,449 PEN 8,394
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,372 PEN 4,702
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Cerritos, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 PEN 2,237
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
6.31
41.68%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cerritos, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$340
Cerritos, CA
$1.6K 378% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Cerritos, CA
$427 88.5% $200
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Cerritos, CA
$401 223% $277
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Cerritos, CA
$378 223% $261
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Cerritos, CA
$147 31% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Cerritos, CA
$159 232% $111
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Cerritos, CA
$12 * 71.8% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $723 in Lima versus $1,968 in Cerritos, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $102 in Cerritos, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $427 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇺🇸 Cerritos, CA
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
13:00 1:00 PM
2 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
49,041
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Cerritos, CA 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Cerritos, 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 Cerritos, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lima and in Cerritos, CA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $996 in Lima, $3,104 in Cerritos, CA – roughly 212% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Cerritos, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Lima and $4,655 in Cerritos, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lima and Cerritos, CA?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $102 in Cerritos, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 88% more in Cerritos, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Cerritos, CA at $3,104. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cerritos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Cerritos, CA?
It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $996 in Lima to $3,104 in Cerritos, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lima or Cerritos, CA safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lima and Cerritos, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cerritos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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