Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Huancayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Huancayo: $488 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Huancayo
Learn more

Huancayo Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Huancayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Huancayo

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Lima vs $488 in Huancayo, rent included.

Lima $1,014
Huancayo $488

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Lima vs $825 in Huancayo, rent included.

Lima $1,613
Huancayo $825

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Lima vs $1,162 in Huancayo, rent included.

Lima $2,211
Huancayo $1,162

Lima costs about 108% more than Huancayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and Huancayo are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Huancayo 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$2.27 PEN 7.80

94.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$6.86 PEN 23.54

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$3.29 PEN 11.31

0.30%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$1.12 PEN 3.83

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$0.64 PEN 2.20

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$2.59 PEN 8.91

-1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$4.29 PEN 14.73

-1.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.15 PEN 3.93

37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$1.05 PEN 3.60

148.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.29 PEN 4.43

3.88%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$2.41 PEN 8.26

21.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$5.14 PEN 17.64

83.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$5.97 PEN 20.49

-3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$5.20 PEN 17.87

86.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$1.41 PEN 4.86

43.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.03 PEN 3.53

3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$0.55 PEN 1.90

149.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$1.19 PEN 4.10

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$0.85 PEN 2.93

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.89 PEN 3.05

2.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.57 PEN 1.96

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$5.70 PEN 19.57

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$5.09 PEN 17.47

80.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.87 PEN 6.41

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$3.18 PEN 10.91

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.59 PEN 2.03

22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

$17.38 PEN 59.7

49.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$1.84 PEN 6.32

92.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$2.00 PEN 6.88

3.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$7.22 PEN 24.79

7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.43 PEN 4.91

19.58%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$21.7K PEN 74.6K

-0.66%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

11.19%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$34.52 PEN 119

97.42%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$11.76 PEN 40.39

33.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$11.82 PEN 40.59

124.03%

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

$7.30 PEN 25.07

-1.10%

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

$201 PEN 689

$182 PEN 624

10.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$53.8 PEN 185

-0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$35.51 PEN 122

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$85.3 PEN 293

-1.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$80.1 PEN 275

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$324 PEN 1,112

125.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

8.94

-1.79%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Huancayo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Huancayo

$162 33.2% 28.6% $65

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Huancayo

$107 21.9% 13.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Huancayo

$115 23.5% 1% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Huancayo

$58 11.9% 47.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Huancayo

$15 * 3% 69.8% $34

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Huancayo

$32 6.5% 26.2% $11

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 $324 in Huancayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $35.00 in Huancayo. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Lima vs $162 in Huancayo – so Huancayo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 Huancayo

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

27,552

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Huancayo 200 km

From you

Lima
Huancayo

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 Huancayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima costs about 108% more than Huancayo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Lima and $732 in Huancayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huancayo, 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 $1,014 in Lima and $488 in Huancayo. That's a gap of about 108%.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Huancayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huancayo, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Lima at $1,014. In Huancayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $488 versus $1,014 in Lima. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Huancayo. 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.