Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,888 in Dawson City, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Dawson City
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Dawson City

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $1,888 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Lima $1,012
  • Dawson City $1,888

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $3,267 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Lima $1,589
  • Dawson City $3,267

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $4,647 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Lima $2,167
  • Dawson City $4,647

Lima is about 46% cheaper than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Dawson City is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 PEN 15.10
$24.14 CA$34.12
-81.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17 PEN 121
$102 CA$144
-65.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 PEN 23.65
$10.41 CA$14.71
-33.81%
Cappuccino
$3.26 PEN 11.20
$3.74 CA$5.29
-12.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 PEN 3.84
$1.78 CA$2.52
-37.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.11
$1.57 CA$2.22
-60.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 PEN 9.09
$5.19 CA$7.34
-48.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 PEN 15.15
$5.55 CA$7.84
-20.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 PEN 5.61
$2.62 CA$3.70
-37.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PEN 8.78
$4.11 CA$5.81
-37.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.65
$4.95 CA$6.99
-72.73%
Eggs
$2.90 PEN 9.96
$5.00 CA$7.06
-42.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 PEN 30.38
$9.66 CA$13.66
-8.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 PEN 20.52
$14.61 CA$20.65
-59.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 PEN 33.59
$14.38 CA$20.33
-31.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 PEN 7.02
$4.00 CA$5.65
-48.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 PEN 3.66
$1.48 CA$2.09
-28.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.64
$3.95 CA$5.59
-65.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 PEN 5.15
$4.06 CA$5.73
-63.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 PEN 3.03
$2.43 CA$3.43
-63.79%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 PEN 3.15
$2.21 CA$3.12
-58.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$2.42 CA$3.42
-63.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$1.55 CA$2.19
-41.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.27
$14.27 CA$20.17
-58.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 PEN 29.26
$12.76 CA$18.05
-33.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 PEN 6.45
$2.52 CA$3.57
-25.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 PEN 11.05
$2.97 CA$4.20
8.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$1.98 CA$2.80
-65.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.86 PEN 92.2
$61.4 CA$86.8
-56.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.09
$3.23 CA$4.57
17.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 PEN 6.93
$1.64 CA$2.32
23.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.11 PEN 24.41
$23.68 CA$33.48
-69.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 PEN 5.91
$1.18 CA$1.67
45.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
$27.9K CA$39.5K
-20.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
$18.0K CA$25.5K
41.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 PEN 251
$136 CA$193
-46.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35 PEN 56.2
$37.51 CA$53.0
-56.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 PEN 94.3
$53.3 CA$75.4
-48.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.90 PEN 110
$41.06 CA$58.1
-22.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 PEN 66.7
$17.56 CA$24.82
10.54%
Cinema Ticket
$7.05 PEN 24.23
$12.54 CA$17.73
-43.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 627
$848 CA$1,199
-78.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
$12.6K CA$17.8K
3.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 PEN 185
$63.2 CA$89.4
-14.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32 PEN 118
$37.70 CA$53.3
-8.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 PEN 284
$66.3 CA$93.7
24.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 PEN 269
$100 CA$142
-22.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 PEN 2,476
$1,224 CA$1,730
-41.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$343 PEN 1,179
$672 CA$951
-48.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 PEN 4,186
$1,931 CA$2,729
-36.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 PEN 2,235
$1,710 CA$2,418
-61.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,414 PEN 8,292
$4,427 CA$6,258
-45.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,357 PEN 4,660
$3,172 CA$4,484
-57.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Dawson City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 PEN 2,226
$2,819 CA$3,986
-77.01%
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 Dawson City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343
Dawson City
$672 95.8% $329
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Dawson City
$401 77.6% $175
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Dawson City
$320 158% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Dawson City
$227 94.4% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Dawson City
$120 7.4% $8.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46
Dawson City
$66 43.8% $20
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Dawson City
$81 85.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $1,224 in Dawson City. 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 335% higher in Dawson City, 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 $102 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $401 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇨🇦 Dawson City
🕒 Local time
14:27 2:27 PM
12:27 12:27 PM
2 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
1,375
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 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 Dawson City 9,940 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dawson City cheaper than Lima?
Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 87%, 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 $2,832 in Dawson City. 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $848 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Lima and in Dawson City?
Groceries cost about 78% more in Dawson City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lima or in Dawson City?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Dawson City at $1,888. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dawson City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lima or Dawson City 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, Dawson City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lima vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?