Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Granada

For one person, living is cheaper in Granada: $920 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Lima despite lower rent and utilities.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Granada
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$920
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Granada

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $920 in Granada, rent included.

  • Lima $1,012
  • Granada $920

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,291 in Granada, rent included.

  • Lima $1,589
  • Granada $1,291

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $1,662 in Granada, rent included.

  • Lima $2,167
  • Granada $1,662

Lima costs about 10% more than Granada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lima and Granada are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Granada 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Granada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 PEN 15.10
$4.31 NIO 158
2.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17 PEN 121
$23.77 NIO 870
47.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 PEN 23.65
$6.95 NIO 254
-0.86%
Cappuccino
$3.26 PEN 11.20
$1.76 NIO 64.4
85.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 PEN 3.84
$0.86 NIO 31.63
30.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.11
$0.69 NIO 25.24
-10.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 PEN 9.09
$1.32 NIO 48.42
100.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 PEN 15.15
$2.03 NIO 74.4
117.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Granada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 PEN 5.61
$1.22 NIO 44.75
33.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PEN 8.78
$1.60 NIO 58.6
60.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.65
$0.54 NIO 19.73
150.00%
Eggs
$2.90 PEN 9.96
$1.18 NIO 43.11
145.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 PEN 30.38
$5.01 NIO 183
76.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 PEN 20.52
$5.02 NIO 184
19.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 PEN 33.59
$7.90 NIO 289
23.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 PEN 7.02
$4.08 NIO 149
-49.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 PEN 3.66
$0.59 NIO 21.53
79.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.64
$1.76 NIO 64.6
-23.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 PEN 5.15
$0.98 NIO 35.96
53.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 PEN 3.03
$2.81 NIO 103
-68.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 PEN 3.15
$1.01 NIO 37.12
-8.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$1.03 NIO 37.59
-13.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$1.02 NIO 37.21
-11.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.27
$2.80 NIO 103
110.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 PEN 29.26
$10.07 NIO 369
-15.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 PEN 6.45
$1.41 NIO 51.8
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 PEN 11.05
$1.77 NIO 64.9
81.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Granada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$0.09 NIO 3.37
655.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.86 PEN 92.2
$3.89 NIO 142
590.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.09
$0.59 NIO 21.59
545.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 PEN 6.93
$1.60 NIO 58.8
26.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.11 PEN 24.41
$6.83 NIO 250
4.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 PEN 5.91
$1.28 NIO 46.73
34.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
$23.2K NIO 849.8K
-3.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
$26.5K NIO 969.6K
-3.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Granada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 PEN 251
$154 NIO 5,650
-52.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35 PEN 56.2
$19.44 NIO 712
-15.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 PEN 94.3
$32.60 NIO 1,194
-15.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Granada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.90 PEN 110
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 PEN 66.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.05 PEN 24.23
$8.74 NIO 320
-19.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Granada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 627
$238 NIO 8,720
-23.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
$5,974 NIO 218.8K
118.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Granada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 PEN 185
$15.21 NIO 557
253.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32 PEN 118
$30.09 NIO 1,102
14.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 PEN 284
$35.60 NIO 1,304
132.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 PEN 269
$35.20 NIO 1,289
122.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Granada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 PEN 2,476
$423 NIO 15.5K
70.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$343 PEN 1,179
$346 NIO 12.7K
-0.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 PEN 4,186
$795 NIO 29.1K
53.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 PEN 2,235
$522 NIO 19.1K
24.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,357 PEN 4,660
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Granada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 PEN 2,226
$136 NIO 4,984
376.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
11.92
-25.00%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Granada: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343
Granada
$346 0.7% $2.4
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Granada
$192 14.9% $34
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Granada
$93 24.7% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Granada
$206 76.5% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Granada
$52 53.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46
Granada
$17 * 62% $29
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Granada
$13 70.4% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $423 in Granada. 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 376% higher in Lima, 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 $24.00 in Granada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $192 – making Granada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇳🇮 Granada
🕒 Local time
00:04 12:04 AM
23:04 11:04 PM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
128,937
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, 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).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Granada 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Granada

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 Granada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lima and in Granada compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,012 in Lima, $920 in Granada – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Granada?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,380 in Granada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lima and Granada?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Granada, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Lima and in Granada?
Public transport costs about 590% less in Granada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Granada?
Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $238 in Granada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Granada, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Lima at $1,012. In Granada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Granada?
It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $920 in Granada to $1,012 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lima or Granada safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Lima and Granada?
If budget matters most, go with Granada. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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