Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Niteroi
For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,089 in Niteroi, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Niteroi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,089 in Niteroi.
Lima $996
Niteroi $1,089
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,715 in Niteroi.
Lima $1,594
Niteroi $1,715
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,342 in Niteroi.
Lima $2,191
Niteroi $2,342
🌍
Living in Lima costs roughly 9% less than in Niteroi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Lima26% lower, Niteroi19% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42PEN 15.16
$7.64R$38.16
-42.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04PEN 120
$40.42R$202
-13.31%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.84PEN 23.44
$7.61R$38.00
-10.12%
Cappuccino
$3.27PEN 11.22
$2.63R$13.11
24.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10PEN 3.78
$1.54R$7.69
-28.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65PEN 2.22
$1.00R$5.01
-35.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.58PEN 8.85
$2.52R$12.59
2.38%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47PEN 15.34
$2.66R$13.26
68.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.59PEN 5.46
$1.22R$6.09
30.33%
White Bread(500g)
$2.58PEN 8.86
$1.61R$8.02
60.25%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.36PEN 4.65
$1.42R$7.08
-4.23%
Eggs
$2.95PEN 10.11
$2.09R$10.45
41.15%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.10PEN 31.19
$10.04R$50.1
-9.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.81PEN 19.91
$4.41R$22.01
31.75%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.83PEN 33.68
$8.30R$41.44
18.43%
Apples(1kg)
$2.01PEN 6.89
$2.61R$13.05
-22.99%
Banana(1kg)
$1.08PEN 3.69
$1.74R$8.71
-37.93%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.37PEN 4.70
$1.82R$9.06
-24.73%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.48PEN 5.06
$1.85R$9.22
-20.00%
Potato(1kg)
$0.96PEN 3.30
$1.34R$6.70
-28.36%
Onion(1kg)
$0.85PEN 2.92
$1.07R$5.33
-20.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.88PEN 3.02
$0.69R$3.42
27.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87PEN 2.97
$0.73R$3.62
19.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90PEN 20.24
$3.56R$17.76
65.73%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.81PEN 30.21
$6.56R$32.74
34.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92PEN 6.57
$1.34R$6.68
43.28%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20PEN 10.98
$2.06R$10.30
55.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.68PEN 2.33
$1.05R$5.25
-35.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.74PEN 91.7
$49.26R$246
-45.72%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.81PEN 13.06
$1.17R$5.83
225.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.04PEN 7.00
$1.17R$5.84
74.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.14PEN 24.49
$8.24R$41.12
-13.35%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.65PEN 5.65
$1.27R$6.34
29.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2KPEN 76.0K
$19.5KR$97.6K
13.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7KPEN 88.0K
$30.9KR$154.2K
-16.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$73.0PEN 250
$116R$581
-37.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26PEN 55.7
$17.32R$86.5
-6.12%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60PEN 94.6
$19.81R$98.9
39.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$33.07PEN 113
$37.83R$189
-12.58%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49PEN 66.8
$32.90R$164
-40.76%
Cinema Ticket
$7.39PEN 25.33
$11.82R$59.0
-37.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$182PEN 624
$534R$2,666
-65.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.3KPEN 45.7K
$4,910R$24.5K
171.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6PEN 180
$62.9R$314
-16.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23PEN 117
$44.05R$220
-22.29%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$83.8PEN 287
$106R$529
-20.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0PEN 271
$91.6R$457
-13.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$723PEN 2,479
$425R$2,119
70.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$340PEN 1,166
$305R$1,520
11.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,184PEN 4,060
$823R$4,108
43.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$635PEN 2,176
$632R$3,154
0.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,449PEN 8,394
$1,452R$7,250
68.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,372PEN 4,702
$1,507R$7,525
-9.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Niteroi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$653PEN 2,237
$941R$4,696
-30.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.94
10.7
-16.45%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026
Last update for Niteroi: October 4, 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
$340 33.6%
Niteroi
$305 28.7% ↓ 10.5%$36
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226 22.4%
Niteroi
$201 18.9% ↓ 11.2%$25
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$124 12.3%
Niteroi
$144 13.5% ↑ 15.8%$20
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117 11.6%
Niteroi
$154 14.5% ↑ 31.4%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112 11.1%
Niteroi
$137 12.9% ↑ 22%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48 4.7%
Niteroi
$61 5.8% ↑ 28.5%$14
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$43 4.3%
Niteroi
$60 5.7% ↑ 39.1%$17
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lima
$635 29.5%
Niteroi
$632 27% ↓ 0.4%$2.9
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$517 24%
Niteroi
$466 19.9% ↓ 9.8%$51
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$417 19.3%
Niteroi
$487 20.8% ↑ 16.9%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$133 6.2%
Niteroi
$171 7.3% ↑ 28.4%$38
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$250 11.6%
Niteroi
$304 13% ↑ 22%$55
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$115 5.4%
Niteroi
$156 6.7% ↑ 35.3%$41
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$88 4.1%
Niteroi
$123 5.3% ↑ 39.4%$35
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $425 in Niteroi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Niteroi pays 44% 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 $40.00 in Niteroi. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $201, with Niteroi 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 Niteroi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Niteroi?
Lima and Niteroi differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,089 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Niteroi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lima and in Niteroi?
Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $425 in Niteroi. 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 Niteroi?
Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $534 in Niteroi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Niteroi pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $996 in Lima versus $1,089 in Niteroi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Niteroi. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Niteroi?
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 Niteroi?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Niteroi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.