Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Crato

For one person, living is cheaper in Crato: $879 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Crato
🇧🇷 Brazil
$879
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Crato

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $879 in Crato.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Crato $879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,403 in Crato.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Crato $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,926 in Crato.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Crato $1,926

Living in Lima is roughly 15% more expensive than in Crato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Crato 35% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Crato
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$5.99 R$30.38
-26.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$31.52 R$160
9.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$7.84 R$39.77
-13.27%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$2.01 R$10.21
64.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$1.32 R$6.71
-19.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$0.77 R$3.93
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$2.03 R$10.29
25.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$2.98 R$15.13
42.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Crato
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.02 R$5.15
54.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$1.69 R$8.55
54.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.29 R$6.52
3.88%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$2.26 R$11.45
29.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$9.37 R$47.49
0.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$4.31 R$21.84
33.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$8.66 R$43.90
11.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$2.24 R$11.37
-9.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$1.31 R$6.65
-18.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$1.18 R$5.97
16.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$1.59 R$8.05
-7.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$1.22 R$6.21
-22.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$1.08 R$5.49
-15.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.83 R$4.22
8.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$0.82 R$4.13
8.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$2.57 R$13.04
123.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$8.10 R$41.06
13.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$1.33 R$6.72
38.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$2.11 R$10.72
47.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Crato
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
$1.04 R$5.27
-30.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
$43.73 R$222
-40.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
$1.28 R$6.48
176.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
$0.92 R$4.67
125.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
$8.22 R$41.69
-5.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.31 R$6.62
30.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$23.4K R$118.7K
-7.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$32.7K R$165.6K
-12.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Crato
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$76.8 R$389
-11.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$12.21 R$61.9
28.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$20.74 R$105
27.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Crato
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$26.10 R$132
30.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
$27.93 R$142
-28.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$7.45 R$37.76
-3.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Crato
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$280 R$1,420
-28.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$7,310 R$37.1K
76.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Crato
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$56.6 R$287
-5.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$50.9 R$258
-29.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$88.6 R$449
-5.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$72.6 R$368
8.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Crato
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
$354 R$1,794
106.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$239 R$1,210
46.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
$677 R$3,430
75.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
$476 R$2,411
46.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
$1,689 R$8,565
39.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
$1,182 R$5,991
14.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Crato
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
11
-20.18%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Crato: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Crato
$239 31.5% $110
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Crato
$195 14.4% $33
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Crato
$120 2.7% $3.3
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Crato
$121 6.5% $7.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Crato
$110 0.6% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Crato
$41 15.3% $7.4
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Crato
$54 25.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $354 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $32.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $195 per month, with Crato cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇷 Crato
🕒 Local time
14:24 2:24 PM
16:24 4:24 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
131,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Crato 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Crato

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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Crato?
Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lima and in Crato?
You'd need roughly $1,522 in Lima and $1,318 in Crato to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lima compared to Crato?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $354 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Lima compared to Crato?
A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 68% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Lima and in Crato?
Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $280 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lima or in Crato?
At $879 in Crato versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lima or Crato?
Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $879 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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