Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Heredia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,829 in Heredia, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Heredia
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Heredia Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Heredia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Heredia

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Lima vs $1,829 in Heredia, rent included.

Lima $996
Heredia $1,829

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Lima vs $2,857 in Heredia, rent included.

Lima $1,594
Heredia $2,857

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Lima vs $3,885 in Heredia, rent included.

Lima $2,191
Heredia $3,885

Lima is about 46% cheaper than Heredia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 26% below the global median, while Heredia is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$11.96 ₡5,390

-63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-40.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$10.28 ₡4,636

-33.46%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$3.73 ₡1,683

-12.33%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$2.19 ₡986

-49.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$1.68 ₡759

-61.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$2.10 ₡947

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$3.94 ₡1,775

13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$2.22 ₡1,002

-28.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.50 ₡1,125

3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$2.74 ₡1,236

-50.36%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$7.32 ₡3,300

-59.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$11.42 ₡5,149

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$14.28 ₡6,437

-59.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$16.86 ₡7,601

-41.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$10.63 ₡4,790

-81.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$2.91 ₡1,312

-62.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$4.68 ₡2,109

-70.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$3.36 ₡1,514

-55.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$3.47 ₡1,564

-72.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$4.52 ₡2,037

-81.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$2.18 ₡984

-59.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$4.60 ₡2,075

-81.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$5.51 ₡2,482

7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$14.43 ₡6,505

-38.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$2.60 ₡1,171

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$4.45 ₡2,006

-28.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.28 ₡576

-46.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$16.23 ₡7,316

64.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$2.59 ₡1,168

47.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$2.90 ₡1,306

-29.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$10.99 ₡4,953

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.51 ₡680

9.27%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$32.8K ₡14.8M

-32.32%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$41.7K ₡18.8M

-38.49%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$103 ₡46.3K

-28.82%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$26.25 ₡11.8K

-38.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$54.1 ₡24.4K

-48.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$73.4 ₡33.1K

-54.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$21.53 ₡9,706

-9.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$11.52 ₡5,195

-35.85%

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

$182 PEN 624

$706 ₡318.2K

-74.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$18.4K ₡8.3M

-27.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$90.3 ₡40.7K

-41.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$63.8 ₡28.8K

-46.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$139 ₡62.8K

-39.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$110 ₡49.4K

-27.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$970 ₡437.1K

-25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$605 ₡272.9K

-43.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$1,840 ₡829.6K

-35.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$1,113 ₡501.6K

-42.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$2,104 ₡948.4K

16.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,468 ₡661.9K

-6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$1,347 ₡607.5K

-51.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-31.23%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Heredia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Heredia

$605 33.8% 78% $265

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Heredia

$484 27% 114% $258

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Heredia

$205 11.4% 65.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Heredia

$183 10.2% 56.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Heredia

$181 10.1% 61.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Heredia

$96 5.4% 102% $49

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Heredia

$38 2.1% 11.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $723 in Lima versus $970 in Heredia. 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 106% higher in Heredia, 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 $59.0 in Heredia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $484 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Heredia

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

117,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Lima
Heredia

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 Heredia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Heredia is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Lima and $2,743 in Heredia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $996 in Lima and $1,829 in Heredia. That's a gap of about 84%.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Heredia at $1,829. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Heredia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Heredia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.