Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ciudad del Este

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Este: $799 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad del Este
Learn more

Ciudad del Este Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Ciudad del Este

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ciudad del Este

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 Ciudad del Este actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $799 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Ciudad del Este $799

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,500 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Ciudad del Este $1,500

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $2,201 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Ciudad del Este $2,201

Lima costs about 27% more than Ciudad del Este, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and Ciudad del Este are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Ciudad del Este 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$6.08 ₲34.6K

-27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$22.70 ₲129.1K

54.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$5.87 ₲33.4K

17.38%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.31 ₲13.1K

41.13%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$0.99 ₲5,638

13.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.61 ₲3,492

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$1.03 ₲5,838

157.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$1.74 ₲9,914

153.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.13 ₲6,405

44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$1.55 ₲8,812

65.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.27 ₲7,206

6.30%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.21 ₲12.6K

31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$9.15 ₲52.0K

-3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$3.89 ₲22.1K

53.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$8.35 ₲47.5K

17.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.05 ₲11.7K

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.27 ₲7,249

-16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$0.98 ₲5,596

37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.27 ₲7,231

18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$0.93 ₲5,284

-5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$0.94 ₲5,368

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.49 ₲2,797

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.42 ₲2,399

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$1.37 ₲7,814

330.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$5.40 ₲30.7K

57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$0.75 ₲4,286

150.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$1.74 ₲9,881

85.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.91 ₲5,160

-25.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$1.55 ₲8,801

145.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.57 ₲8,923

28.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$10.48 ₲59.6K

-32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.22 ₲6,955

40.98%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$17.5K ₲99.2M

27.83%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$17.3K ₲98.2M

47.65%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$51.9 ₲295.2K

40.76%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$17.90 ₲101.8K

-8.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$18.98 ₲107.9K

44.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$29.72 ₲169.0K

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$14.30 ₲81.3K

35.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$6.20 ₲35.3K

13.71%

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

$182 PEN 627

$185 ₲1.1M

-1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$1,909 ₲10.9M

583.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$64.1 ₲364.6K

-16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$33.87 ₲192.6K

1.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$99.6 ₲566.4K

-16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$56.8 ₲323.2K

37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$354 ₲2.0M

103.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$261 ₲1.5M

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$744 ₲4.2M

63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$980 ₲5.6M

-33.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,923 ₲10.9M

25.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,420 ₲8.1M

-4.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$610 ₲3.5M

6.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.15

-11.92%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Este: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Ciudad del Este

$261 32.7% 24% $83

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Ciudad del Este

$171 21.4% 24.5% $55

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Ciudad del Este

$109 13.6% 12.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Ciudad del Este

$89 11.1% 24% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Ciudad del Este

$115 14.3% 2.1% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Ciudad del Este

$42 5.3% 8.4% $3.9

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Ciudad del Este

$13 * 1.6% 70.1% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $354 in Ciudad del Este. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% 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 $35.00 in Lima versus $23.00 in Ciudad del Este. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $171 – making Ciudad del Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇾 Ciudad del Este

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

320,782

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Ciudad del Este 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ciudad del Este

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 Ciudad del Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lima is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,198 in Ciudad del Este. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad del Este, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $23.00 in Ciudad del Este. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Lima, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad del Este, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Lima at $1,012. In Ciudad del Este it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ciudad del Este – 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 Ciudad del Este. 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.