Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Paulo Afonso

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulo Afonso: $873 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Paulo Afonso
🇧🇷 Brazil
$873
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Paulo Afonso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $873 in Paulo Afonso.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Paulo Afonso $873

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,396 in Paulo Afonso.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Paulo Afonso $1,396

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,919 in Paulo Afonso.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Paulo Afonso $1,919

Living in Lima is roughly 16% more expensive than in Paulo Afonso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Paulo Afonso 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$5.94 R$30.13
-25.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$32.67 R$166
5.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$7.90 R$40.03
-13.92%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$2.01 R$10.18
64.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$1.28 R$6.50
-17.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$0.81 R$4.11
-18.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$1.98 R$10.01
28.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$2.96 R$14.98
43.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.05 R$5.34
50.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$1.71 R$8.67
52.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.26 R$6.39
6.35%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$2.25 R$11.40
30.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$9.21 R$46.71
2.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$4.34 R$21.98
32.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$8.70 R$44.09
11.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$2.18 R$11.04
-7.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$1.27 R$6.45
-15.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$1.23 R$6.25
11.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$1.55 R$7.84
-5.16%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$1.27 R$6.43
-25.20%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$1.08 R$5.47
-15.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.78 R$3.98
15.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$0.78 R$3.94
14.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$2.55 R$12.93
125.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$8.08 R$40.96
13.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$1.27 R$6.44
44.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$2.13 R$10.80
46.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
$1.00 R$5.09
-28.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
$43.24 R$219
-39.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
$1.29 R$6.52
174.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
$0.86 R$4.35
140.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
$7.85 R$39.79
-1.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.31 R$6.66
30.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$23.7K R$120.3K
-9.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$32.8K R$166.4K
-12.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$74.6 R$378
-8.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$12.23 R$62.0
28.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$21.33 R$108
24.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$25.69 R$130
32.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
$28.25 R$143
-28.85%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$7.44 R$37.73
-2.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$286 R$1,451
-29.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$7,108 R$36.0K
81.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$55.5 R$281
-3.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$49.85 R$253
-28.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$91.9 R$466
-8.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$74.3 R$377
6.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
$349 R$1,769
109.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$236 R$1,197
47.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
$679 R$3,442
74.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
$467 R$2,366
49.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
$1,695 R$8,594
39.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
$1,202 R$6,093
12.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
11
-20.18%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Paulo Afonso: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Paulo Afonso
$236 32.3% $112
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Paulo Afonso
$193 14.9% $34
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Paulo Afonso
$120 3.2% $4
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Paulo Afonso
$122 7.7% $8.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Paulo Afonso
$108 2% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Paulo Afonso
$41 16.1% $7.8
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Paulo Afonso
$53 23.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $349 in Paulo Afonso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Paulo Afonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $193 per month, with Paulo Afonso cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇷 Paulo Afonso
🕒 Local time
13:33 1:33 PM
15:33 3:33 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
112,870
💱 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 Paulo Afonso 4,250 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Paulo Afonso

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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Paulo Afonso?
Lima and Paulo Afonso differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $873 including rent). Paulo Afonso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Paulo Afonso?
You'd need roughly $1,522 in Lima and $1,309 in Paulo Afonso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lima and in Paulo Afonso?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $349 in Paulo Afonso. 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 Paulo Afonso?
Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $286 in Paulo Afonso. 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 17% 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 $873 in Paulo Afonso versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulo Afonso but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Paulo Afonso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Paulo Afonso?
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 Paulo Afonso?
Expats usually find Paulo Afonso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lima vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?