Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Coquimbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $555 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Coquimbo
🇨🇱 Chile
$555
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Coquimbo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $555 in Coquimbo.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Coquimbo $555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $927 in Coquimbo.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Coquimbo $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,300 in Coquimbo.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Coquimbo $1,300

Living in Lima is roughly 83% more expensive than in Coquimbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Coquimbo 59% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$6.84 CLP 6,737
-35.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$46.62 CLP 45.9K
-25.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$6.13 CLP 6,039
10.93%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$3.48 CLP 3,430
-5.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$1.14 CLP 1,125
-7.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$1.00 CLP 984
-34.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$4.15 CLP 4,081
-38.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$4.52 CLP 4,447
-6.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.01 CLP 992
56.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$3.11 CLP 3,060
-16.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.21 CLP 1,193
10.74%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$2.62 CLP 2,583
11.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$8.14 CLP 8,010
16.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$1.35 CLP 1,331
49.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$1.82 CLP 1,796
-41.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$0.99 CLP 977
38.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$0.99 CLP 975
48.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$1.26 CLP 1,245
-27.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.60 CLP 587
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$1.31 CLP 1,292
-32.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$5.05 CLP 4,971
13.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$8.21 CLP 8,079
12.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$4.63 CLP 4,562
-32.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
$0.84 CLP 830
-14.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.35 CLP 1,327
26.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$102 CLP 100.3K
-33.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$12.45 CLP 12.3K
26.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$25.08 CLP 24.7K
35.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
$5.01 CLP 4,929
301.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$4.03 CLP 3,965
79.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$259 CLP 255.0K
-22.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$29.0K CLP 28.5M
-55.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$46.90 CLP 46.2K
14.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$25.18 CLP 24.8K
42.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$61.2 CLP 60.2K
36.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$81.2 CLP 79.9K
-2.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Coquimbo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
$602 CLP 592.4K
10.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
5
75.60%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Coquimbo
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Coquimbo
$154 * 32.3% $73
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Coquimbo
$153 24.2% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Coquimbo
$96 15% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Coquimbo
$114 * 3.6% $4
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Coquimbo
$33 31.5% $15
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Coquimbo
$3.4 * 92.1% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

Lima pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $47.00 in Coquimbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $154, with Coquimbo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇨🇱 Coquimbo
🕒 Local time
11:53 11:53 AM
13:53 1:53 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
204,068
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Coquimbo 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Coquimbo

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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Coquimbo?
Lima and Coquimbo differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $555 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lima or Coquimbo?
Average pay runs 10% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Coquimbo?
Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $259 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $35.00 in Lima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $555 in Coquimbo versus $1,014 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Coquimbo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Lima or Coquimbo?
Expats usually find Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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