Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cotia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotia: $933 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cotia
Learn more

Cotia Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Cotia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Cotia

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $933 in Cotia, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Cotia $933

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,523 in Cotia, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Cotia $1,523

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $2,113 in Cotia, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Cotia $2,113

Lima costs about 8% more than Cotia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lima and Cotia are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Cotia 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.13

$7.17 R$35.98

-38.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$39.70 R$199

-11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.69

$8.86 R$44.44

-22.23%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.22

$2.51 R$12.57

29.88%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.42 R$7.14

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$1.15 R$5.78

-46.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.11

$2.84 R$14.23

-6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.17

$4.42 R$22.20

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.62

$1.19 R$5.99

36.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.79

$1.83 R$9.20

39.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.66

$1.18 R$5.90

14.41%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.97

$2.87 R$14.38

1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.43

$12.07 R$60.6

-26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.55

$4.53 R$22.70

32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.65

$11.13 R$55.9

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.04

$2.76 R$13.85

-25.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.85 R$9.27

-42.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.61 R$8.08

-16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.16

$1.90 R$9.55

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.36 R$6.82

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.16

$1.24 R$6.24

-25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$0.96 R$4.80

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$0.80 R$4.01

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$2.82 R$14.16

109.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.31

$8.83 R$44.29

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.46

$1.67 R$8.36

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.07

$2.49 R$12.49

29.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.34

$1.00 R$5.04

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.4

$48.26 R$242

-44.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.11

$1.28 R$6.41

197.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.94

$0.98 R$4.94

106.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.45

$9.67 R$48.54

-26.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$1.30 R$6.52

32.31%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

$23.7K R$119.0K

-5.91%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.7K

$34.4K R$172.4K

-25.78%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$43.73 R$219

67.09%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$14.60 R$73.3

11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.5

$18.30 R$91.8

50.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$27.03 R$136

18.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.8

$30.53 R$153

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.27

$7.86 R$39.46

-10.31%

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

$182 PEN 628

$438 R$2,197

-58.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.9K

$7,677 R$38.5K

69.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$55.4 R$278

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$59.8 R$300

-42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 285

$95.1 R$477

-12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$85.2 R$427

-8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,481

$351 R$1,761

105.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,181

$244 R$1,225

40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,193

$661 R$3,319

84.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,239

$469 R$2,353

38.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,306

$1,462 R$7,333

65.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,668

$1,315 R$6,600

3.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,229

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.12

-19.60%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cotia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Cotia

$244 26.2% 28.9% $99

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Cotia

$230 24.7% 2% $4.5

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Cotia

$147 15.8% 18.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Cotia

$77 8.2% 34.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Cotia

$133 14.3% 18.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Cotia

$43 4.6% 7.1% $3.3

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Cotia

$58 6.3% 34.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $351 in Cotia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $40.00 in Cotia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $230 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇧🇷 Cotia

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

274,413

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Cotia 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Cotia

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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima costs about 8% more than Cotia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,399 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotia, 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 $40.00 in Cotia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,012 in Lima and $933 in Cotia. That's a gap of about 8%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Lima at $1,012. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $933 versus $1,012 in Lima. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cotia. 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.