Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $1,447 in Jaco Beach, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach.

Lima $1,014
Jaco Beach $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $2,313 in Jaco Beach.

Lima $1,613
Jaco Beach $2,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $3,180 in Jaco Beach.

Lima $2,211
Jaco Beach $3,180

Living in Lima costs roughly 30% less than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Jaco Beach is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$11.77 ₡5,278

-62.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$43.49 ₡19.5K

-20.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$10.05 ₡4,505

-32.34%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$3.94 ₡1,768

-16.24%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$2.38 ₡1,065

-55.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$1.86 ₡833

-64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$3.29 ₡1,475

-22.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$4.33 ₡1,943

-2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.90 ₡853

-16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$2.22 ₡997

17.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$2.43 ₡1,092

-44.86%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$2.61 ₡1,171

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$10.62 ₡4,764

-11.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$9.19 ₡4,123

-37.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$11.90 ₡5,338

-18.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$5.08 ₡2,278

-60.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.66 ₡742

-35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$4.53 ₡2,033

-69.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$3.54 ₡1,590

-58.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$1.56 ₡701

-39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.42 ₡637

-35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.01 ₡454

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$1.99 ₡894

-55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$5.79 ₡2,598

-0.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$14.20 ₡6,366

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$2.65 ₡1,188

-30.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$2.26 ₡1,012

37.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$2.42 ₡1,087

46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$1.55 ₡696

33.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$8.91 ₡3,994

-13.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.55 ₡696

10.32%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-36.75%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$41.6K ₡18.7M

-31.33%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$80.2 ₡36.0K

-15.06%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$24.70 ₡11.1K

-36.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$46.61 ₡20.9K

-43.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$53.3 ₡23.9K

-36.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$7.57 ₡3,395

-4.62%

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

$201 PEN 689

$492 ₡220.8K

-59.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$7,283 ₡3.3M

77.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$24.70 ₡11.1K

117.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$57.2 ₡25.6K

-37.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$131 ₡58.8K

-36.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$133 ₡59.5K

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$766 ₡343.4K

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$520 ₡233.2K

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$1,987 ₡891.0K

-40.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$1,113 ₡499.1K

-37.43%

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

$399 ₡178.8K

66.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

8.62

1.86%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9% 49.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7% 44.2% $101

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8% 73% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8% 37.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5% 37.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7% 41.4% $20

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7% 76.2% $33

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 $729 in Lima and $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $43.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $328 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Jaco Beach 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Jaco Beach

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $492 in Jaco Beach. 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 $43.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. 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 Jaco Beach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lima and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.