Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Pisco

For one person, living is cheaper in Pisco: $660 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Pisco
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Pisco Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Pisco

🇵🇪 Peru

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Pisco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $660 in Pisco.

Lima $1,014
Pisco $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,023 in Pisco.

Lima $1,613
Pisco $1,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,386 in Pisco.

Lima $2,211
Pisco $1,386

Living in Lima is roughly 54% more expensive than in Pisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Pisco 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$4.25 PEN 14.59

4.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$35.07 PEN 120

-1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$7.09 PEN 24.37

-4.09%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$3.19 PEN 10.95

3.45%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$1.07 PEN 3.69

-0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$0.65 PEN 2.23

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$2.63 PEN 9.02

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$4.43 PEN 15.21

-4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.65 PEN 5.66

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$2.32 PEN 7.96

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.25 PEN 4.30

7.20%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$1.30 PEN 4.45

125.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$6.55 PEN 22.50

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$4.85 PEN 16.66

18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$6.35 PEN 21.81

52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$1.34 PEN 4.61

50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.00 PEN 3.42

7.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.42 PEN 4.86

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$0.56 PEN 1.91

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$0.45 PEN 1.55

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.90 PEN 3.10

1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.90 PEN 3.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.86 PEN 2.95

3.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$8.57 PEN 29.43

7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.95 PEN 6.70

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$2.42 PEN 8.31

28.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.89 PEN 3.06

-19.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

$35.26 PEN 121

-26.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$3.90 PEN 13.40

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$2.05 PEN 7.04

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$7.15 PEN 24.56

8.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.67 PEN 5.72

2.40%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$21.7K PEN 74.7K

-0.73%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$26.1K PEN 89.5K

9.67%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$42.69 PEN 147

59.64%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$16.08 PEN 55.2

-2.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$11.50 PEN 39.51

130.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$20.40 PEN 70.1

66.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$8.49 PEN 29.15

136.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$7.29 PEN 25.05

-0.96%

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

$201 PEN 689

$178 PEN 611

12.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$12.9K PEN 44.2K

0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$52.8 PEN 181

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$13.11 PEN 45.03

173.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$46.22 PEN 159

81.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$34.60 PEN 119

127.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$161 PEN 553

353.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$130 PEN 448

167.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$147 PEN 504

374.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$1,788 PEN 6,141

31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$1,352 PEN 4,642

0.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

$557 PEN 1,911

19.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

8.94

-1.79%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pisco: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Pisco

$130 19.8% 62.6% $218

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Pisco

$183 27.7% 19.6% $45

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Pisco

$122 18.6% 0.8% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Pisco

$66 10% 41.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Pisco

$70 10.7% 36.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Pisco

$35 5.3% 27.7% $13

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Pisco

$53 8% 23.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $161 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 19% 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 $35.00 in Pisco. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $183, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 Pisco

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

14,917

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $660 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $729 in Lima versus $161 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $178 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Pisco versus $1,014 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 54% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.