Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Costa Mesa, CA $3,959

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $5,540 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Costa Mesa, CA $5,540

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $7,121 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Costa Mesa, CA $7,121

Lima is about 74% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Costa Mesa, CA is 193% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$19.85 $19.85

-77.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$78.6 $78.6

-55.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$14.90 $14.90

-53.76%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$5.59 $5.59

-41.68%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$3.40 $3.40

-67.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$2.50 $2.50

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$7.32 $7.32

-63.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$9.73 $9.73

-54.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.12 $1.12

45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$4.01 $4.01

-36.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$4.69 $4.69

-71.22%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$5.09 $5.09

-43.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$12.82 $12.82

-30.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$20.19 $20.19

-70.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$21.58 $21.58

-54.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$5.01 $5.01

-59.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.48 $2.48

-57.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$4.53 $4.53

-70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$5.80 $5.80

-74.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$4.53 $4.53

-80.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.32 $2.32

-60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.16 $2.16

-58.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.90 $1.90

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$11.60 $11.60

-49.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$15.06 $15.06

-43.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.01 $2.01

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$4.18 $4.18

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.95 $1.95

-65.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$69.9 $69.9

-61.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$6.10 $6.10

-37.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.47 $1.47

17.01%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-40.03%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.27%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$218 $218

-66.42%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$68.5 $68.5

-76.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$71.5 $71.5

-61.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$39.81 $39.81

-19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$12.21 $12.21

58.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$16.67 $16.67

-57.71%

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

$182 PEN 627

$1,196 $1,196

-84.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$57.1 $57.1

-5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$47.38 $47.38

-27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$93.2 $93.2

-11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$128 $128

-39.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$2,726 $2,726

-73.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$2,467 $2,467

-86.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$4,187 $4,187

-70.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$3,833 $3,833

-83.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$9,284 $9,284

-73.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$7,077 $7,077

-80.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$6,286 $6,286

-89.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

6.39

39.91%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3% 618% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1% 112% $254

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9% 183% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9% 206% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7% 30.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9% 59% $27

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 92.7% $40

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 $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA. 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 870% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $480 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

13:10 1:10 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

109,960

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Costa Mesa, CA 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Costa Mesa, 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 Costa Mesa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 291% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $5,938 in Costa Mesa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Costa Mesa, CA at $3,959. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,012 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.