Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Managua

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,050 in Managua, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. The total is higher in Managua despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Managua
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Managua Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Managua

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Managua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,050 in Managua.

Lima $996
Managua $1,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,629 in Managua.

Lima $1,594
Managua $1,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,207 in Managua.

Lima $2,191
Managua $2,207

Living in Lima costs roughly 5% less than in Managua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Managua 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$9.83 NIO 360

-55.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$35.30 NIO 1,293

-0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$7.46 NIO 273

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$2.57 NIO 94.0

27.24%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$0.91 NIO 33.42

20.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.74 NIO 27.28

-12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$1.47 NIO 54.0

75.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$2.18 NIO 80.0

105.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.26 NIO 46.01

26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.44 NIO 89.4

5.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.89 NIO 69.2

-28.04%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.32 NIO 84.8

27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$11.46 NIO 420

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$6.16 NIO 226

-5.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$7.81 NIO 286

25.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$3.90 NIO 143

-48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$0.58 NIO 21.38

86.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.76 NIO 64.4

-22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$2.42 NIO 88.5

-38.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$3.85 NIO 141

-75.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$2.19 NIO 80.1

-61.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.10 NIO 40.26

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.02 NIO 37.22

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$2.80 NIO 102

110.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$14.39 NIO 527

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.42 NIO 52.0

35.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.20 NIO 80.7

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.12 NIO 4.42

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$5.88 NIO 216

354.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$1.64 NIO 60.2

132.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$1.64 NIO 60.2

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$6.64 NIO 243

7.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.38 NIO 50.5

19.57%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$22.9K NIO 838.8K

-3.18%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$25.9K NIO 947.8K

-0.81%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$152 NIO 5,561

-51.90%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$19.55 NIO 716

-16.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$32.50 NIO 1,190

-15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$34.76 NIO 1,273

-4.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$15.13 NIO 554

28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$9.11 NIO 333

-18.88%

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

$182 PEN 624

$231 NIO 8,466

-21.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$6,110 NIO 223.8K

118.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$59.0 NIO 2,161

-10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$64.8 NIO 2,373

-47.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$121 NIO 4,415

-30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$148 NIO 5,406

-46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$252 NIO 9,231

186.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$182 NIO 6,656

87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$451 NIO 16.5K

162.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$381 NIO 14.0K

66.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$1,199 NIO 43.9K

104.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$686 NIO 25.1K

100.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$417 NIO 15.3K

56.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.92

-25.00%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Managua: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Managua

$182 17.5% 46.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Managua

$257 24.8% 13.7% $31

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Managua

$150 14.5% 21.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Managua

$204 19.6% 74.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Managua

$176 17% 57% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Managua

$53 5.1% 10.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Managua

$16 1.6% 62.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $252 in Managua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 56% 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 $35.00 in Managua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $257 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇳🇮 Managua

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

1,039,290 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, 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).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.08 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Managua 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Managua

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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Managua differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,050 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $723 in Lima versus $252 in Managua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $231 in Managua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Managua. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,050 in Managua, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Managua. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Managua. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.