Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Natal

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.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Natal
🇧🇷 Brazil
$718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Natal

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: Lima 25% lower, Natal 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Natal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$5.50 R$27.88
-19.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$37.86 R$192
-8.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$7.57 R$38.37
-10.17%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$2.03 R$10.31
62.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$1.09 R$5.54
-2.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$0.60 R$3.02
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$1.55 R$7.84
63.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$2.32 R$11.78
82.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Natal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.20 R$6.09
31.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$1.22 R$6.18
113.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.08 R$5.45
24.07%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$1.86 R$9.45
57.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$7.03 R$35.63
34.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$4.21 R$21.32
36.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$8.01 R$40.60
20.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$1.43 R$7.24
41.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$0.96 R$4.85
11.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$0.78 R$3.96
75.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$1.25 R$6.35
17.60%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$1.09 R$5.53
-12.84%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$1.07 R$5.40
-14.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.49 R$2.47
83.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$0.58 R$2.93
53.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$1.74 R$8.84
229.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$7.81 R$39.57
17.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$1.17 R$5.92
57.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$1.49 R$7.58
108.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Natal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
$0.89 R$4.50
-19.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
$29.17 R$148
-10.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
$0.97 R$4.92
264.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
$0.55 R$2.80
276.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
$3.60 R$18.25
115.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.30 R$6.59
31.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$23.7K R$119.9K
-8.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$33.9K R$172.0K
-15.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Natal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$54.1 R$274
25.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$13.40 R$67.9
17.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$17.22 R$87.3
53.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Natal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$22.14 R$112
53.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
$32.39 R$164
-37.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$7.88 R$39.96
-8.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Natal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$114 R$577
76.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$4,685 R$23.7K
175.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Natal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$45.79 R$232
17.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$47.37 R$240
-24.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$76.3 R$387
9.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$76.2 R$386
3.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Natal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
$469 R$2,375
55.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$175 R$888
98.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
$579 R$2,936
104.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
$360 R$1,823
93.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
$1,380 R$6,995
71.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
$882 R$4,473
53.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Natal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
$411 R$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.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Natal
$175 49.7% $173
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Natal
$163 28.2% $64
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Natal
$110 10.7% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Natal
$111 2.6% $2.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Natal
$85 23.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Natal
$38 21.6% $10
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Natal
$36 14.9% $6.4

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.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇷 Natal
🕒 Local time
13:32 1:32 PM
15:32 3:32 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
751,300
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Natal 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Natal

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.

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