Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cerro de Pasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cerro de Pasco: $548 a month against $1,042 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Cerro de Pasco
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Cerro de Pasco Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Cerro de Pasco

🇵🇪 Peru

$548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Cerro de Pasco

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 Cerro de Pasco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $548 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

Lima $1,042
Cerro de Pasco $548

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $883 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

Lima $1,651
Cerro de Pasco $883

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $1,218 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

Lima $2,259
Cerro de Pasco $1,218

Lima costs about 90% more than Cerro de Pasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lima and Cerro de Pasco are more affordable than the global median – Lima 23% lower, Cerro de Pasco 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 16.04

$2.98 PEN 10.30

55.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 119

$28.85 PEN 99.8

19.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.24

$6.77 PEN 23.43

3.55%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.15

$1.99 PEN 6.89

61.81%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.92

$0.75 PEN 2.59

50.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$0.45 PEN 1.57

35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.13

$2.66 PEN 9.20

10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.71

$4.31 PEN 14.90

-1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.47

$1.54 PEN 5.34

2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 9.03

$2.36 PEN 8.16

10.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.49

$1.25 PEN 4.32

4.00%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.10

$2.38 PEN 8.25

22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.99

$9.08 PEN 31.42

5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.76

$5.71 PEN 19.77

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.75

$8.33 PEN 28.81

13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.95

$2.04 PEN 7.05

-1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.54

$0.74 PEN 2.57

37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 5.02

$0.45 PEN 1.56

222.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.17

$1.14 PEN 3.95

30.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.15

$0.75 PEN 2.59

21.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.09

$0.50 PEN 1.74

78.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.98

$0.90 PEN 3.12

-4.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.93

$5.69 PEN 19.69

-3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.18

$7.43 PEN 25.70

36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.25

$1.91 PEN 6.62

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.89

$2.67 PEN 9.24

17.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.85

$3.44 PEN 11.90

-0.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.83

$2.01 PEN 6.96

-1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.21

$7.69 PEN 26.59

24.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.92

$1.72 PEN 5.94

-0.58%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.6K

$21.9K PEN 75.7K

-0.13%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.5K

0.00%

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

$65.8 PEN 228

$67.5 PEN 234

-2.49%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.8

$15.47 PEN 53.5

-1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 93.0

$26.37 PEN 91.2

1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 114

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.62

$7.04 PEN 24.35

1.14%

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

$309 PEN 1,069

$308 PEN 1,065

0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.9K

$13.0K PEN 45.1K

63.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 180

$53.1 PEN 184

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$35.10 PEN 121

1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 283

$83.6 PEN 289

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 270

$78.9 PEN 273

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,514

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,291

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,319

$412 PEN 1,425

203.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,557

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,233

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,249

$470 PEN 1,625

38.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

8.78

-4.56%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cerro de Pasco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Cerro de Pasco

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Cerro de Pasco

$204 37.2% 10.7% $24

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Cerro de Pasco

$95 17.3% 25.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Cerro de Pasco

$113 20.6% 1.3% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Cerro de Pasco

$109 19.9% 1.3% $1.4

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.5% 71.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.6% 70.1% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 38% higher in Lima, 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 $34 in Lima versus $29 in Cerro de Pasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $204 – making Cerro de Pasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 Cerro de Pasco

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

58,899

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.257 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.257 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lima Cerro de Pasco 180 km

From you

Lima
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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 Cerro de Pasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lima is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,564 per month in Lima and $822 in Cerro de Pasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima and $29 in Cerro de Pasco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Lima, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cerro de Pasco, where all-in costs run around $548, than in Lima at $1,042. In Cerro de Pasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $548 in Cerro de Pasco to $1,042 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cerro de Pasco. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.