Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Huánuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Huánuco: $26.98 a month against $1,042 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Huánuco

🇵🇪 Peru

$26.98

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Huánuco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $27 in Huánuco.

Lima $1,042
Huánuco $27

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $78 in Huánuco.

Lima $1,651
Huánuco $78

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $130 in Huánuco.

Lima $2,259
Huánuco $130

Living in Lima is roughly 3763% more expensive than in Huánuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 23% lower, Huánuco 98% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.99

$2.94 PEN 10.13

57.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$14.38 PEN 49.62

138.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.18

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.12

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

$1.13 PEN 3.91

$0.60 PEN 2.06

88.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$0.28 PEN 0.96

117.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.67

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.45

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 9.00

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.48

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.07

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.71

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.66

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.53

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 5.00

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.15

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.15

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.88

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.90

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

$21.9K PEN 75.4K

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

$29.0K PEN 100.2K

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

$65.8 PEN 227

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

$15.26 PEN 52.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.7

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 114

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.4

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.55

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

$309 PEN 1,066

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 282

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 269

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,507

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,287

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,307

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,550

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,210

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,708

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,243

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Huánuco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Huánuco

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Huánuco

–

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Huánuco

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Huánuco

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Huánuco

–

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Huánuco

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Huánuco

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $34 in Lima vs $14 in Huánuco for two.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 Huánuco

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

89,502

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Huánuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Huánuco is about 97% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,564 in Lima and $40 in Huánuco to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Huánuco – a meal for two runs $14 versus $34 in Lima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,042 per month in Lima versus $27 in Huánuco – Huánuco is about 97% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $27 in Huánuco versus $1,042 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Huánuco but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Huánuco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.