For one person, living is cheaper in Natal: $718 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Natal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $718 in Natal.
Lima $1,014
Natal $718
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,193 in Natal.
Lima $1,613
Natal $1,193
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,668 in Natal.
Lima $2,211
Natal $1,668
🌍
Living in Lima is roughly 41% more expensive than in Natal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Lima25% lower, Natal47% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Natal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42PEN 15.19
$5.50R$27.88
-19.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56PEN 119
$37.86R$192
-8.72%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.80PEN 23.37
$7.57R$38.37
-10.17%
Cappuccino
$3.30PEN 11.34
$2.03R$10.31
62.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06PEN 3.64
$1.09R$5.54
-2.75%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66PEN 2.26
$0.60R$3.02
10.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.54PEN 8.71
$1.55R$7.84
63.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24PEN 14.55
$2.32R$11.78
82.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Natal
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.58PEN 5.43
$1.20R$6.09
31.67%
White Bread(500g)
$2.61PEN 8.97
$1.22R$6.18
113.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.34PEN 4.60
$1.08R$5.45
24.07%
Eggs
$2.93PEN 10.08
$1.86R$9.45
57.53%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.45PEN 32.45
$7.03R$35.63
34.42%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.75PEN 19.75
$4.21R$21.32
36.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.69PEN 33.29
$8.01R$40.60
20.97%
Apples(1kg)
$2.02PEN 6.95
$1.43R$7.24
41.26%
Banana(1kg)
$1.07PEN 3.66
$0.96R$4.85
11.46%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37PEN 4.70
$0.78R$3.96
75.64%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.47PEN 5.05
$1.25R$6.35
17.60%
Potato(1kg)
$0.95PEN 3.25
$1.09R$5.53
-12.84%
Onion(1kg)
$0.91PEN 3.14
$1.07R$5.40
-14.95%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.90PEN 3.10
$0.49R$2.47
83.67%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89PEN 3.04
$0.58R$2.93
53.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74PEN 19.71
$1.74R$8.84
229.89%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.21PEN 31.64
$7.81R$39.57
17.93%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84PEN 6.31
$1.17R$5.92
57.26%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11PEN 10.67
$1.49R$7.58
108.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Natal
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.72PEN 2.46
$0.89R$4.50
-19.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.03PEN 89.4
$29.17R$148
-10.76%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.54PEN 12.17
$0.97R$4.92
264.95%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.07PEN 7.12
$0.55R$2.80
276.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.75PEN 26.62
$3.60R$18.25
115.28%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.71PEN 5.86
$1.30R$6.59
31.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6KPEN 74.1K
$23.7KR$119.9K
-8.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6KPEN 98.2K
$33.9KR$172.0K
-15.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Natal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$68.2PEN 234
$54.1R$274
25.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73PEN 54.0
$13.40R$67.9
17.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48PEN 90.9
$17.22R$87.3
53.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Natal
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$33.94PEN 117
$22.14R$112
53.30%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10PEN 69.0
$32.39R$164
-37.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22PEN 24.80
$7.88R$39.96
-8.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Natal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$201PEN 689
$114R$577
76.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.9KPEN 44.3K
$4,685R$23.7K
175.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Natal
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7PEN 184
$45.79R$232
17.30%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88PEN 123
$47.37R$240
-24.26%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$83.8PEN 288
$76.3R$387
9.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8PEN 271
$76.2R$386
3.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Natal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$729PEN 2,505
$469R$2,375
55.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$349PEN 1,197
$175R$888
98.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,186PEN 4,073
$579R$2,936
104.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$696PEN 2,391
$360R$1,823
93.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,360PEN 8,105
$1,380R$6,995
71.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,356PEN 4,657
$882R$4,473
53.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Natal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$663PEN 2,278
$411R$2,083
61.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.78
11.67
-24.76%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026
Last update for Natal: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349 34.4%
Natal
$175 24.4% ↓ 49.7%$173
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227 22.4%
Natal
$163 22.7% ↓ 28.2%$64
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$123 12.2%
Natal
$110 15.4% ↓ 10.7%$13
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113 11.2%
Natal
$111 15.4% ↓ 2.6%$2.9
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110 10.9%
Natal
$85 11.8% ↓ 23.2%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48 4.8%
Natal
$38 5.3% ↓ 21.6%$10
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$43 4.2%
Natal
$36 5.1% ↓ 14.9%$6.4
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lima
$696 31.5%
Natal
$360 21.6% ↓ 48.3%$337
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$519 23.5%
Natal
$375 22.5% ↓ 27.8%$144
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$413 18.7%
Natal
$407 24.4% ↓ 1.6%$6.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$252 11.4%
Natal
$246 14.7% ↓ 2.6%$6.5
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$126 5.7%
Natal
$98 5.9% ↓ 22.2%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$117 5.3%
Natal
$108 6.5% ↓ 7.4%$8.7
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$87 3.9%
Natal
$75 4.5% ↓ 14.2%$12
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $469 in Natal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 61% 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 $38.00 in Natal. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $163, with Natal cheaper for home cooking.
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 Natal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Natal?
Lima and Natal differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $718 including rent). Natal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lima or Natal?
Average pay runs 61% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lima and in Natal?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $469 in Natal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Natal?
Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $114 in Natal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $718 in Natal versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Natal but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Natal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Natal?
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.
Where should expats move: Lima or Natal?
Expats usually find Natal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.