Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,371 in Maldonado, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Maldonado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,371 in Maldonado.

Lima $1,012
Maldonado $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,178 in Maldonado.

Lima $1,589
Maldonado $2,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,985 in Maldonado.

Lima $2,167
Maldonado $2,985

Living in Lima costs roughly 26% less than in Maldonado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Maldonado is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$14.94 UYU 600

-70.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$54.8 UYU 2,198

-35.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$13.58 UYU 545

-49.26%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$4.61 UYU 185

-29.28%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.64 UYU 106

-57.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.96 UYU 119

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.61 UYU 145

22.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.16 UYU 46.70

40.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.74 UYU 110

-6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.69 UYU 68.0

-20.12%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$4.14 UYU 166

-29.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$14.00 UYU 562

-36.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$11.83 UYU 475

-49.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$11.89 UYU 477

-17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.78 UYU 112

-26.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.15 UYU 86.4

-50.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.77 UYU 71.1

-23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$3.20 UYU 129

-53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.02 UYU 81.0

-56.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.09 UYU 84.1

-55.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.44 UYU 57.8

-38.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.87 UYU 75.2

-51.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$5.56 UYU 223

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$7.99 UYU 320

6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.32 UYU 93.1

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.71 UYU 109

18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.42 UYU 57.0

-52.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$50.1 UYU 2,011

-46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$3.39 UYU 136

12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$0.41 UYU 16.27

392.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$9.89 UYU 397

-28.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$2.14 UYU 85.8

-19.63%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-16.89%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

-31.53%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$113 UYU 4,548

-35.52%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$19.05 UYU 765

-14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$44.11 UYU 1,770

-37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$48.11 UYU 1,931

-33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$30.02 UYU 1,205

-35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$12.36 UYU 496

-42.96%

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

$182 PEN 627

$488 UYU 19.6K

-62.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$6,539 UYU 262.4K

99.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$90.5 UYU 3,632

-40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$36.90 UYU 1,481

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$123 UYU 4,931

-32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$120 UYU 4,796

-34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$423 UYU 17.0K

70.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$318 UYU 12.8K

8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$920 UYU 36.9K

32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$590 UYU 23.7K

10.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$2,838 UYU 113.9K

-14.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,546 UYU 62.0K

-12.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$1,005 UYU 40.4K

-35.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

78.80%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Maldonado

$318 23.2% 7.5% $26

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Maldonado

$321 23.4% 41.9% $95

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Maldonado

$256 18.7% 107% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Maldonado

$176 12.9% 51% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Maldonado

$166 12.1% 48.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Maldonado

$73 5.3% 58.3% $27

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Maldonado

$61 4.5% 40.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $423 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 55% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $321 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

00:15 12:15 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

62,592

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Maldonado 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Maldonado

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Maldonado differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,371 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Maldonado. 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: $721 in Lima versus $423 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $488 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,371 in Maldonado, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Maldonado 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 36% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.