Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and La Merced

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $558 a month against $1,042 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in La Merced
Learn more

La Merced Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

La Merced

🇵🇪 Peru

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in La Merced

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

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $558 in La Merced, rent included.

Lima $1,042
La Merced $558

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $910 in La Merced, rent included.

Lima $1,651
La Merced $910

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $1,263 in La Merced, rent included.

Lima $2,259
La Merced $1,263

Lima costs about 87% more than La Merced, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lima and La Merced are more affordable than the global median – Lima 23% lower, La Merced 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.99

$4.38 PEN 15.10

5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$34.86 PEN 120

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.18

$7.01 PEN 24.19

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.12

$3.18 PEN 10.97

1.26%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.91

$1.08 PEN 3.72

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$0.65 PEN 2.24

-6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.10

$2.57 PEN 8.86

14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.67

$4.29 PEN 14.81

-0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.45

$1.58 PEN 5.44

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 9.00

$2.07 PEN 7.15

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.48

$1.28 PEN 4.43

1.56%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.07

$2.35 PEN 8.11

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.90

$7.33 PEN 25.29

30.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.71

$5.78 PEN 19.94

-1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.66

$8.68 PEN 29.94

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.93

$0.92 PEN 3.17

118.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.53

$0.45 PEN 1.56

126.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 5.00

$0.30 PEN 1.04

383.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.15

$0.71 PEN 2.46

109.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.15

$0.28 PEN 0.96

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$0.45 PEN 1.55

97.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$0.60 PEN 2.07

43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$0.87 PEN 3.01

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.88

$5.63 PEN 19.42

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.08

$7.33 PEN 25.30

38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.23

$1.90 PEN 6.56

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.86

$3.08 PEN 10.61

2.27%

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

$3.43 PEN 11.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.81

$2.07 PEN 7.14

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.12

$7.64 PEN 26.37

25.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.90

$1.64 PEN 5.65

4.27%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.4K

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

0.54%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.2K

$28.9K PEN 99.8K

0.36%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$66.7 PEN 230

-1.23%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.6

$15.80 PEN 54.5

-3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.7

$27.06 PEN 93.4

-0.70%

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

$7.14 PEN 24.63

-0.28%

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

$309 PEN 1,066

$318 PEN 1,096

-2.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.7K

$12.7K PEN 43.6K

68.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$53.3 PEN 184

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$35.12 PEN 121

1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 282

$83.7 PEN 289

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 269

$79.1 PEN 273

-1.43%

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

8.78

-4.56%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for La Merced: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

La Merced

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

La Merced

$185 33.1% 18.9% $43

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

La Merced

$123 22% 3.4% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

La Merced

$113 20.3% 1.5% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

La Merced

$110 19.6% 1.4% $1.6

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

La Merced

$14 * 2.5% 71.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

La Merced

$14 * 2.6% 69.7% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima versus $35 in La Merced. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Lima vs $185 in La Merced – so La Merced wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 La Merced

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

8,000

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima La Merced 270 km

From you

Lima
La Merced

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 La Merced: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima costs about 87% more than La Merced, 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 $1,564 per month in Lima and $837 in La Merced. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $558 in La Merced. That makes La Merced about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Lima and $318 in La Merced. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in La Merced, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Lima at $1,042. In La Merced it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $558 in La Merced to $1,042 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.