Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Lima $1,012
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Lima $1,589
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Lima $2,167
Escazu $3,999

Living in Lima costs roughly 48% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Escazu is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$12.23 ₡5,486

-64.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$62.1 ₡27.9K

-43.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$11.48 ₡5,146

-39.98%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$4.56 ₡2,045

-28.51%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.72 ₡1,218

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.85 ₡828

-66.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$3.36 ₡1,505

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$4.47 ₡2,006

-1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$2.32 ₡1,040

-29.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$3.12 ₡1,397

-17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$2.49 ₡1,117

-45.78%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.59 ₡1,611

-19.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$10.61 ₡4,757

-16.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$10.22 ₡4,581

-41.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$13.94 ₡6,252

-29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$5.13 ₡2,301

-60.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.62 ₡726

-34.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$3.16 ₡1,416

-57.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$3.07 ₡1,378

-51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$3.79 ₡1,698

-76.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.73 ₡1,674

-75.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.04 ₡465

-14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.70 ₡762

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$5.53 ₡2,479

6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$18.39 ₡8,249

-53.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.66 ₡745

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.68 ₡1,202

20.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.09 ₡491

-37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.06 ₡923

84.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.57 ₡704

28.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$8.76 ₡3,927

-18.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.48 ₡664

16.22%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

-0.48%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-27.51%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$94.6 ₡42.4K

-22.72%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$29.81 ₡13.4K

-45.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-54.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$108 ₡48.6K

-70.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$10.15 ₡4,550

91.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$7.81 ₡3,502

-9.73%

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

$182 PEN 627

$457 ₡204.9K

-60.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-24.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-38.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$131 ₡58.6K

-36.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$130 ₡58.4K

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$834 ₡373.9K

-13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$845 ₡378.8K

-59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,961 ₡879.3K

-37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$1,508 ₡676.4K

-56.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,407 ₡630.8K

71.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$972 ₡435.7K

39.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$1,746 ₡782.8K

-62.87%

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 Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 146% $501

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 59.6% $135

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Escazu

$231 12% 86.3% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 57.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Escazu

$174 9% 55.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 170% $78

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 67.1% $29

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 $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 169% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $62.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $361 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

11,984

💱 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 = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Escazu 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 169% lower in Escazu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Escazu. 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 Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Escazu 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 91% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.