Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Fontana, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $3,399 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Fontana, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Fontana, CA

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Lima vs $3,399 in Fontana, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Fontana, CA $3,399

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Lima vs $5,055 in Fontana, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Fontana, CA $5,055

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Lima vs $6,711 in Fontana, CA, rent included.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Fontana, CA $6,711

Lima is about 70% cheaper than Fontana, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Fontana, CA is 151% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$20.01 $20.01
-77.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$78.4 $78.4
-55.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$14.87 $14.87
-54.27%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$5.65 $5.65
-41.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$3.48 $3.48
-69.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$2.38 $2.38
-72.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$7.28 $7.28
-65.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$9.25 $9.25
-54.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.06 $1.06
49.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$4.12 $4.12
-36.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$4.80 $4.80
-72.08%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$5.03 $5.03
-41.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$13.18 $13.18
-28.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$8.66 $8.66
-33.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$15.23 $15.23
-36.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$4.81 $4.81
-58.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$2.12 $2.12
-49.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$4.00 $4.00
-65.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$5.71 $5.71
-74.26%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$3.61 $3.61
-73.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$2.30 $2.30
-60.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$2.06 $2.06
-56.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$1.91 $1.91
-53.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$11.73 $11.73
-51.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$14.79 $14.79
-37.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$1.94 $1.94
-5.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$4.07 $4.07
-23.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
$45.84 $45.84
-43.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
$6.39 $6.39
-44.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.47 $1.47
16.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$29.3K $29.3K
-26.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$26.6K $26.6K
7.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$220 $220
-69.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$79.5 $79.5
-80.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$59.7 $59.7
-55.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$15.18 $15.18
-52.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$1,196 $1,196
-83.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$58.6 $58.6
-8.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$39.49 $39.49
-9.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$91.6 $91.6
-8.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$103 $103
-23.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
$2,039 $2,039
-64.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$2,080 $2,080
-83.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
$3,222 $3,222
-63.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
$3,818 $3,818
-81.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Fontana, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
$4,917 $4,917
-86.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
6.31
39.14%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Fontana, CA
$2.1K 497% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Fontana, CA
$395 73.8% $168
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Fontana, CA
$351 184% $227
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Fontana, CA
$132 16% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Fontana, CA
$359 226% $249
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Fontana, CA
$30 * 37.2% $18
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Fontana, CA
$52 * 22% $9.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Lima versus $2,039 in Fontana, CA. 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 641% higher in Fontana, CA, 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 $78.0 in Fontana, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $395 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇺🇸 Fontana, CA
🕒 Local time
17:55 5:55 PM
15:55 3:55 PM
2 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
210,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Fontana, CA 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Fontana, CA

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 Fontana, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Fontana, CA?
Fontana, CA costs about 235% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lima and in Fontana, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Lima and $5,099 in Fontana, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lima or Fontana, CA?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Lima compared to Fontana, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Lima and $3,399 in Fontana, CA. That's a gap of about 235%.
How expensive is transport in Lima compared to Fontana, CA?
Public transport costs about 76% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lima or in Fontana, CA?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Fontana, CA at $3,399. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fontana, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lima or Fontana, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,014 versus $3,399 in Fontana, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Lima or to Fontana, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fontana, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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