Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Curridabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,739 in Curridabat, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Curridabat
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Curridabat Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Curridabat

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Curridabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,739 in Curridabat.

Lima $1,012
Curridabat $1,739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,732 in Curridabat.

Lima $1,589
Curridabat $2,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,724 in Curridabat.

Lima $2,167
Curridabat $3,724

Living in Lima costs roughly 42% less than in Curridabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Curridabat is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.11

$10.77 ₡4,836

-59.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$55.6 ₡25.0K

-36.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.67

$10.04 ₡4,508

-31.37%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.21

$4.49 ₡2,015

-27.39%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.96 ₡881

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.34 ₡603

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.10

$3.33 ₡1,497

-20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.16

$3.04 ₡1,364

45.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.62

$2.38 ₡1,071

-31.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$3.12 ₡1,401

-17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$2.41 ₡1,082

-43.98%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.51 ₡1,578

-17.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.40

$10.51 ₡4,722

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.53

$10.28 ₡4,618

-41.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.62

$13.96 ₡6,270

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.03

$5.05 ₡2,270

-59.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.62 ₡729

-34.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$4.66 ₡2,094

-71.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.16

$3.81 ₡1,711

-60.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$3.86 ₡1,733

-77.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.57 ₡1,605

-74.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.11 ₡501

-19.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$3.18 ₡1,428

-71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.29

$6.00 ₡2,696

-1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.28

$20.29 ₡9,114

-58.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.86 ₡1,286

-34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.60 ₡1,617

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.34

$1.45 ₡650

-53.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.37 ₡1,065

60.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.94

$1.62 ₡727

24.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.43

$8.69 ₡3,902

-18.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.54 ₡693

11.69%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.7K

$21.9K ₡9.8M

2.01%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-27.93%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$96.2 ₡43.2K

-24.02%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$35.78 ₡16.1K

-54.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.4

$60.4 ₡27.1K

-54.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$67.9 ₡30.5K

-53.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.24

$7.49 ₡3,364

-5.87%

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

$182 PEN 627

$998 ₡448.3K

-81.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$72.8 ₡32.7K

-26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-37.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 285

$128 ₡57.7K

-35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$133 ₡59.8K

-41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,478

$815 ₡366.2K

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$666 ₡299.3K

-48.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,189

$1,891 ₡849.5K

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,236

$1,315 ₡590.6K

-50.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,298

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,227

$506 ₡227.2K

28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.62

3.71%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Curridabat: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Curridabat

$666 38.3% 94.1% $323

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Curridabat

$400 23% 76.9% $174

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Curridabat

$206 11.9% 66.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Curridabat

$192 11.1% 64.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Curridabat

$175 10.1% 56.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Curridabat

$83 4.8% 80.2% $37

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Curridabat

$16 * 0.9% 62.6% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $815 in Curridabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $56.0 in Curridabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $400 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Curridabat

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

33,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Curridabat 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Curridabat

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 Curridabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $815 in Curridabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $998 in Curridabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $56.0 in Curridabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,739 in Curridabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Curridabat. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Curridabat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Curridabat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Curridabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.