Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $2,094 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Creston
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,094
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Creston

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $2,094 in Creston, rent included.

  • Lima $1,012
  • Creston $2,094

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $3,206 in Creston, rent included.

  • Lima $1,589
  • Creston $3,206

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $4,318 in Creston, rent included.

  • Lima $2,167
  • Creston $4,318

Lima is about 52% cheaper than Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Creston is 55% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Creston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 PEN 15.10
$17.22 CA$24.34
-74.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17 PEN 121
$65.8 CA$93.0
-46.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 PEN 23.65
$11.38 CA$16.08
-39.46%
Cappuccino
$3.26 PEN 11.20
$4.05 CA$5.73
-19.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 PEN 3.84
$1.96 CA$2.76
-42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.11
$1.56 CA$2.21
-60.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 PEN 9.09
$5.09 CA$7.20
-47.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 PEN 15.15
$4.80 CA$6.78
-8.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Creston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 PEN 5.61
$2.01 CA$2.84
-18.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PEN 8.78
$2.88 CA$4.06
-11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.65
$3.16 CA$4.47
-57.28%
Eggs
$2.90 PEN 9.96
$4.25 CA$6.00
-31.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 PEN 30.38
$9.81 CA$13.87
-9.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 PEN 20.52
$10.10 CA$14.28
-40.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 PEN 33.59
$14.57 CA$20.59
-32.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 PEN 7.02
$3.76 CA$5.32
-45.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 PEN 3.66
$1.31 CA$1.85
-19.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.64
$3.35 CA$4.73
-59.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 PEN 5.15
$3.97 CA$5.61
-62.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 PEN 3.03
$2.16 CA$3.05
-59.26%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 PEN 3.15
$2.33 CA$3.29
-60.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$2.50 CA$3.53
-64.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$1.39 CA$1.96
-35.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.27
$12.86 CA$18.18
-54.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 PEN 29.26
$14.25 CA$20.15
-40.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 PEN 6.45
$2.22 CA$3.14
-15.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 PEN 11.05
$3.02 CA$4.27
6.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Creston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$2.08 CA$2.95
-67.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.86 PEN 92.2
$53.4 CA$75.5
-49.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.09
$2.90 CA$4.11
31.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 PEN 6.93
$1.41 CA$1.99
43.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.11 PEN 24.41
$22.72 CA$32.11
-68.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 PEN 5.91
$1.12 CA$1.59
53.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
$24.2K CA$34.2K
-7.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
$18.7K CA$26.5K
36.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Creston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 PEN 251
$132 CA$186
-44.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35 PEN 56.2
$37.43 CA$52.9
-56.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 PEN 94.3
$53.4 CA$75.5
-48.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Creston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.90 PEN 110
$37.37 CA$52.8
-14.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 PEN 66.7
$19.25 CA$27.22
0.83%
Cinema Ticket
$7.05 PEN 24.23
$11.10 CA$15.69
-36.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Creston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 627
$705 CA$996
-74.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
$13.1K CA$18.5K
-0.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Creston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 PEN 185
$53.4 CA$75.5
0.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32 PEN 118
$43.30 CA$61.2
-20.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 PEN 284
$92.9 CA$131
-10.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 PEN 269
$105 CA$149
-25.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Creston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 PEN 2,476
$1,141 CA$1,613
-36.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$343 PEN 1,179
$993 CA$1,403
-65.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 PEN 4,186
$1,934 CA$2,734
-36.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 PEN 2,235
$1,812 CA$2,561
-64.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,414 PEN 8,292
$3,677 CA$5,198
-34.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,357 PEN 4,660
$3,646 CA$5,155
-62.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Creston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 PEN 2,226
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
4.66
91.85%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343
Creston
$993 189% $649
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Creston
$345 52.9% $119
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Creston
$270 117% $146
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Creston
$223 90.5% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Creston
$133 18.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46
Creston
$60 29.5% $14
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Creston
$72 64.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $1,141 in Creston. 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 $66.0 in Creston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $345 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇨🇦 Creston
🕒 Local time
13:45 1:45 PM
11:45 11:45 AM
2 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
5,583
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Creston 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Creston cheaper than Lima?
Yes – Creston is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $3,141 in Creston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Lima and in Creston?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,012 in Lima and $2,094 in Creston. That's a gap of about 107%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 99% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lima or in Creston?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Creston at $2,094. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Creston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lima or Creston more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Creston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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