Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Pisco Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Pisco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $682 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $1,055 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $1,429 in Pisco.

Living in Lima is roughly 49% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Pisco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.59

$4.49 PEN 15.07

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$32.63 PEN 109

-1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.58

$7.13 PEN 23.89

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.84

$3.34 PEN 11.21

-3.29%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.79

$1.12 PEN 3.77

0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.62 PEN 2.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 8.99

$2.75 PEN 9.21

-2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.19

$4.57 PEN 15.31

-0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.50

$1.68 PEN 5.62

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.72

$2.33 PEN 7.81

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.50

$1.27 PEN 4.24

5.51%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.24

$1.37 PEN 4.60

122.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.22

$6.49 PEN 21.75

38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.87

$4.94 PEN 16.55

20.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.87

$6.82 PEN 22.86

43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.03

$1.37 PEN 4.58

53.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.53

$1.01 PEN 3.40

3.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.87

$1.44 PEN 4.81

0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.03

$0.57 PEN 1.92

163.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.10

$0.43 PEN 1.45

116.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.16

$0.86 PEN 2.90

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.00

$0.85 PEN 2.83

4.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.19

$0.87 PEN 2.91

9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.50

$5.80 PEN 19.45

0.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.26

$9.22 PEN 30.92

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.50

$1.90 PEN 6.36

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.82

$2.48 PEN 8.32

30.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.30

$0.93 PEN 3.13

-25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.2

$35.81 PEN 120

-24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.07

$3.98 PEN 13.34

-2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.81

$2.14 PEN 7.17

-5.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 24.97

$7.29 PEN 24.43

2.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.75

$1.72 PEN 5.76

-0.58%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

$21.8K PEN 73.2K

1.62%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.6K

$25.9K PEN 86.9K

3.12%

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

$71.1 PEN 238

$45.42 PEN 152

56.47%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.8

$16.85 PEN 56.5

0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 94.9

$11.93 PEN 40.00

137.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 113

$20.56 PEN 68.9

64.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 66.9

$8.99 PEN 30.14

122.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.23

$7.32 PEN 24.56

-1.23%

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

$181 PEN 606

$181 PEN 605

0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.1K

$13.2K PEN 44.1K

2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 181

$54.2 PEN 182

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 119

$13.39 PEN 44.90

165.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 288

$47.04 PEN 158

82.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 272

$36.00 PEN 121

125.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,543

$164 PEN 551

361.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,162

$132 PEN 444

161.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,205

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,165

$146 PEN 488

343.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,312

$1,813 PEN 6,079

36.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

0.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,242

$584 PEN 1,957

14.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pisco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $164 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 15% 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: $32.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Pisco. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $186, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Pisco differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $682 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $759 in Lima versus $164 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $181 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Pisco versus $1,016 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.