Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Kourou

For one person, living is cheaper in Kourou: $177 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$996

/mo nomad

Kourou

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$177

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Kourou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $177 in Kourou.

Lima $996
Kourou $177

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $304 in Kourou.

Lima $1,594
Kourou $304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $432 in Kourou.

Lima $2,191
Kourou $432

Living in Lima is roughly 463% more expensive than in Kourou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Kourou 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$1.98 €1.76

30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$6.74 €6.01

-56.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$4.33 €3.87

-53.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$2.32 €2.07

-53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$7.83 €6.99

-81.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$2.45 €2.19

-60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$7.00 €6.24

-87.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$2.24 €2.00

-60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.95 €1.74

-55.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

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

$73.0 PEN 250

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

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

$182 PEN 624

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$1,491 €1,330

-51.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kourou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Kourou

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Kourou

–

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Kourou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Kourou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Kourou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Kourou

–

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Kourou

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $1,491 in Kourou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇬🇫 Kourou

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

24,903

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

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

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Kourou 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Kourou

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 Kourou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Kourou differ by about 463% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $177 including rent). Kourou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,494 in Lima and $265 in Kourou 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $1,491 in Kourou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $177 in Kourou – a 463% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $177 in Kourou versus $996 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kourou but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Kourou 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.

Expats usually find Kourou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 463% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.