Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,625 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ilopango outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ilopango

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,625 in Ilopango.

Lima $996
Ilopango $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,858 in Ilopango.

Lima $1,594
Ilopango $1,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,090 in Ilopango.

Lima $2,191
Ilopango $2,090

Living in Lima costs roughly 39% less than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Ilopango is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$3.16 $3.16

39.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$44.12 $44.12

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$5.04 $5.04

35.71%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$2.94 $2.94

11.22%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$0.93 $0.93

18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.97 $0.97

-32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$0.91 $0.91

183.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$1.75 $1.75

155.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$3.28 $3.28

-51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$1.44 $1.44

79.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$3.07 $3.07

-55.70%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.92 $2.92

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$5.02 $5.02

81.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$5.86 $5.86

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$9.86 $9.86

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.92 $2.92

-31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$2.02 $2.02

-46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$2.03 $2.03

-32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.95 $1.95

-24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$2.02 $2.02

-52.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.97 $1.97

-56.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.93 $0.93

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$0.97 $0.97

-10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$3.95 $3.95

49.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$12.18 $12.18

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$0.98 $0.98

95.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.06 $2.06

55.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.88 $0.88

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$35.67 $35.67

-25.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$7.16 $7.16

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$2.16 $2.16

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$4.71 $4.71

51.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$0.67 $0.67

146.27%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$19.9K $19.9K

11.20%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.55%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$34.38 $34.38

112.45%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$9.97 $9.97

63.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$39.70 $39.70

-30.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$39.80 $39.80

-16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$10.04 $10.04

94.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$4.97 $4.97

48.69%

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

$182 PEN 624

$104 $104

74.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$1,904 $1,904

599.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$20.18 $20.18

160.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$29.95 $29.95

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$75.4 $75.4

11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$58.9 $58.9

34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$677 $677

6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$1,038 $1,038

-67.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$585 $585

102.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$640 $640

-0.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$1,747 $1,747

40.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$949 $949

44.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$976 $976

-33.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

49.00%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Ilopango

$1K 62.9% 205% $698

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Ilopango

$248 15% 9.8% $22

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Ilopango

$91 5.5% 26.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Ilopango

$84 5.1% 28.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Ilopango

$83 5% 26.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Ilopango

$50 3% 3.9% $1.9

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 31.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $677 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 50% 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 $44.00 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $248 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

22:51 10:51 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

38,890

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Ilopango 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ilopango

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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Ilopango. 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: $723 in Lima versus $677 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $104 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ilopango. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,625 in Ilopango, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Ilopango. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ilopango, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Ilopango. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.