Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Chiquimula

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiquimula: $829 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Chiquimula

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Chiquimula

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Lima vs $829 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Lima $996
Chiquimula $829

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Lima vs $1,379 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Lima $1,594
Chiquimula $1,379

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Lima vs $1,929 in Chiquimula, rent included.

Lima $2,191
Chiquimula $1,929

Lima costs about 20% more than Chiquimula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and Chiquimula are more affordable than the global median – Lima 26% lower, Chiquimula 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$8.60 Q 65.7

-48.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$52.6 Q 402

-33.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$8.85 Q 67.6

-22.71%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$4.00 Q 30.56

-18.25%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$2.12 Q 16.24

-48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$1.45 Q 11.11

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$3.93 Q 30.02

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$6.04 Q 46.12

-25.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$2.04 Q 15.56

-22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$3.59 Q 27.43

-28.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$2.00 Q 15.30

-32.00%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.35 Q 17.95

25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$5.34 Q 40.77

70.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$13.79 Q 105

-57.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$10.20 Q 78.0

-3.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$4.75 Q 36.29

-57.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$2.38 Q 18.15

-54.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$5.24 Q 40.05

-73.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.58 Q 12.11

-6.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.85 Q 14.17

-48.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.76 Q 13.48

-51.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.30 Q 9.91

-32.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.37 Q 10.48

-36.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$3.91 Q 29.85

50.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$7.81 Q 59.7

12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$2.86 Q 21.88

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$3.78 Q 28.85

-15.34%

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

$4.73 Q 36.14

-19.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.25 Q 9.52

32.00%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$22.7K Q 173.7K

-2.44%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$21.4K Q 163.8K

19.78%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$56.5 Q 432

29.34%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$39.05 Q 298

-58.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$62.1 Q 475

-55.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$8.27 Q 63.2

-10.64%

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

$182 PEN 624

$545 Q 4,163

-66.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$14.2K Q 108.8K

-6.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$43.74 Q 334

20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$53.2 Q 406

-35.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$93.9 Q 717

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$80.6 Q 616

-1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Chiquimula: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Chiquimula

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Chiquimula

–

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Chiquimula

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Chiquimula

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Chiquimula

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Chiquimula

–

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Chiquimula

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $53.0 in Chiquimula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $324 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇬🇹 Chiquimula

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

79,815

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, 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).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.57 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Chiquimula 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Chiquimula

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 Chiquimula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lima is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Lima and $1,243 in Chiquimula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $53.0 in Chiquimula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 43% cheaper in Lima – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chiquimula, where all-in costs run around $829, than in Lima at $996. In Chiquimula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiquimula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

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