Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Fort St John, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,913 in Fort St John, BC, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Fort St John, BC
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Fort St John, BC Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Fort St John, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Fort St John, BC

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 Fort St John, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,913 in Fort St John, BC.

Lima $1,012
Fort St John, BC $1,913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,956 in Fort St John, BC.

Lima $1,589
Fort St John, BC $2,956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $4,000 in Fort St John, BC.

Lima $2,167
Fort St John, BC $4,000

Living in Lima costs roughly 47% less than in Fort St John, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Fort St John, BC is 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$17.24 CA$24.37

-74.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$41.68 CA$58.9

-15.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$9.28 CA$13.11

-25.75%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.84 CA$5.43

-15.10%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.71 CA$2.42

-34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.20 CA$1.70

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$6.20 CA$8.76

-57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$4.61 CA$6.51

-4.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$3.36 CA$4.75

-51.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.77 CA$3.91

-7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$3.70 CA$5.23

-63.51%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.93 CA$5.56

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$11.80 CA$16.69

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$13.63 CA$19.27

-56.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$18.56 CA$26.23

-47.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$5.70 CA$8.06

-64.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$0.67 CA$0.95

58.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$3.75 CA$5.30

-64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$3.50 CA$4.95

-57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.73 CA$3.86

-67.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.82 CA$3.99

-67.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.03 CA$2.87

-56.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$2.51 CA$3.54

-64.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$14.53 CA$20.55

-59.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$20.83 CA$29.44

-59.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$4.98 CA$7.04

-62.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$5.51 CA$7.80

-41.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.37 CA$1.94

-50.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$28.24 CA$39.92

-4.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.17 CA$1.65

47.01%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$124 CA$175

-41.01%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$96.6 CA$137

-83.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$59.4 CA$83.9

-53.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$13.11 CA$18.53

143.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$10.56 CA$14.93

-33.24%

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

$182 PEN 627

$707 CA$1,000

-74.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$71.3 CA$101

-24.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$46.86 CA$66.3

-26.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$105 CA$149

-21.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$139 CA$197

-43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$737 CA$1,041

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$692 CA$979

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,520 CA$2,149

-19.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$1,380 CA$1,951

-52.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$3,001 CA$4,243

-78.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

6.1

46.56%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fort St John, BC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Fort St John, BC

$692 36.2% 102% $349

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Fort St John, BC

$446 23.3% 97.3% $220

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Fort St John, BC

$264 13.8% 113% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Fort St John, BC

$280 14.6% 139% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Fort St John, BC

$163 8.5% 45.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Fort St John, BC

$34 1.8% 25.6% $12

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Fort St John, BC

$34 * 1.8% 22.4% $9.8

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 $737 in Fort St John, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 363% 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 $42.00 in Fort St John, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $446 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇦 Fort St John, BC

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

18,609

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Fort St John, BC 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Fort St John, BC

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 Fort St John, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 363% lower in Fort St John, BC. 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 $737 in Fort St John, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $42.00 in Fort St John, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $1,913 in Fort St John, BC – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,913 in Fort St John, BC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Fort St John, BC. 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 Fort St John, BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Fort St John, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.