Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Piura Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Piura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $732 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,605 in Lima versus $1,231 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,196 in Lima versus $1,729 in Piura.

Living in Lima is roughly 39% more expensive than in Piura, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Piura 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 PEN 14.71

$3.74 PEN 12.62

16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 PEN 121

$25.40 PEN 85.7

41.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 PEN 24.09

$7.32 PEN 24.70

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$3.39 PEN 11.45

$3.38 PEN 11.41

0.30%

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

$1.09 PEN 3.68

$1.11 PEN 3.75

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.09

$0.72 PEN 2.43

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PEN 9.16

$2.41 PEN 8.14

12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.28

$2.95 PEN 9.97

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.48

$1.50 PEN 5.08

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 PEN 9.11

$2.61 PEN 8.82

3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 PEN 4.65

$1.69 PEN 5.69

-18.34%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 9.95

$2.94 PEN 9.92

0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 PEN 31.92

$10.51 PEN 35.45

-9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 PEN 20.41

$8.41 PEN 28.36

-28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.99 PEN 33.71

$10.75 PEN 36.25

-7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 PEN 6.84

$1.42 PEN 4.79

42.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.57

$1.36 PEN 4.58

-22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.79

$1.46 PEN 4.94

-2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.04

$1.38 PEN 4.64

7.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.14

$1.32 PEN 4.46

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.90

$0.73 PEN 2.46

17.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 PEN 2.84

$0.88 PEN 2.96

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 PEN 3.16

$1.33 PEN 4.47

-29.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PEN 20.39

$8.02 PEN 27.06

-24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.34

$11.47 PEN 38.71

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.49

$1.81 PEN 6.12

6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 PEN 10.97

$3.04 PEN 10.27

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.64 PEN 2.15

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.60 PEN 93.1

$20.46 PEN 69.0

34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 PEN 13.67

$3.17 PEN 10.69

27.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$2.43 PEN 8.20

-16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 PEN 24.40

$7.57 PEN 25.52

-4.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 PEN 5.83

$1.46 PEN 4.93

18.49%

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

$21.9K PEN 73.8K

$22.0K PEN 74.1K

-0.49%

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

$26.3K PEN 88.8K

$23.8K PEN 80.4K

10.35%

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

$71.6 PEN 242

$41.49 PEN 140

72.52%

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

$16.89 PEN 57.0

$9.03 PEN 30.46

87.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 PEN 94.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.23 PEN 112

$29.26 PEN 98.7

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 PEN 67.9

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 PEN 25.37

$2.45 PEN 8.26

206.94%

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

$183 PEN 618

$204 PEN 687

-10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K PEN 45.7K

$2,357 PEN 7,952

474.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 PEN 186

$45.01 PEN 152

22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.32 PEN 123

$13.32 PEN 44.94

172.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 PEN 295

$59.3 PEN 200

47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 PEN 269

$75.7 PEN 255

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 PEN 2,578

$239 PEN 807

219.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 PEN 1,186

$136 PEN 459

158.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 PEN 4,308

$402 PEN 1,357

217.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 PEN 2,215

$411 PEN 1,387

59.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 PEN 8,424

$3,855 PEN 13.0K

-35.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 PEN 4,733

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 PEN 2,215

$550 PEN 1,856

19.29%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Piura: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Lima and $239 in Piura. 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: $36.00 in Lima vs $25.00 in Piura. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $256, with Lima 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 Piura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Piura differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $732 including rent). Piura 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: $764 in Lima versus $239 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in Lima versus $204 in Piura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $732 in Piura versus $1,014 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piura but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Piura 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 Piura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.