Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Grecia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,505 in Grecia, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Grecia
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Grecia Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Grecia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Grecia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,505 in Grecia.

Lima $1,012
Grecia $1,505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,083 in Grecia.

Lima $1,589
Grecia $2,083

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,660 in Grecia.

Lima $2,167
Grecia $2,660

Living in Lima costs roughly 33% less than in Grecia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Grecia is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$10.60 ₡4,754

-58.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$53.5 ₡24.0K

-34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$11.68 ₡5,236

-41.01%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.36 ₡1,507

-2.98%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.80 ₡809

-37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.84 ₡824

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.70 ₡1,210

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$2.91 ₡1,305

51.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.99 ₡893

-18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$1.11 ₡499

130.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$2.42 ₡1,086

-44.21%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.49 ₡1,563

-16.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$6.52 ₡2,926

35.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$4.32 ₡1,938

38.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$13.74 ₡6,164

-28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.43 ₡1,088

-15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.58 ₡709

-32.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.35 ₡608

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.36 ₡608

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.72 ₡773

-48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.56 ₡698

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.13 ₡505

-21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$2.13 ₡957

-57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$5.87 ₡2,634

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$12.81 ₡5,747

-33.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.10 ₡944

-10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$1.58 ₡709

103.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.89 ₡849

-64.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$1.98 ₡890

92.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.62 ₡728

24.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$8.86 ₡3,974

-19.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.55 ₡693

10.97%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

2.46%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$34.7K ₡15.6M

-26.55%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$87.9 ₡39.4K

-16.89%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$26.87 ₡12.1K

-39.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$59.3 ₡26.6K

-53.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$48.76 ₡21.9K

-34.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$11.93 ₡5,349

62.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$7.50 ₡3,364

-6.00%

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

$182 PEN 627

$994 ₡446.0K

-81.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-24.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$71.3 ₡32.0K

-24.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$56.5 ₡25.3K

-39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$128 ₡57.2K

-35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$134 ₡60.0K

-41.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$446 ₡200.0K

61.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$632 ₡283.4K

-45.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$776 ₡347.9K

57.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$677 ₡303.6K

-3.87%

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

$667 ₡299.1K

-2.85%

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 Grecia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Grecia

$632 42% 84% $289

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Grecia

$249 16.5% 10% $23

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Grecia

$194 12.9% 56.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Grecia

$174 11.6% 49% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Grecia

$175 11.6% 56.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Grecia

$64 4.2% 38.6% $18

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Grecia

$18 * 1.2% 59.4% $26

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 $446 in Grecia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grecia pays 3% 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 $53.0 in Grecia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $249 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Grecia

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

16,700

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Grecia 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Grecia

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 Grecia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Grecia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Grecia. 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 $446 in Grecia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $994 in Grecia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $53.0 in Grecia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,505 in Grecia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Grecia. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Grecia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.