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: $998 in Lima versus $612 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,550 in Lima versus $1,041 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,101 in Lima versus $1,470 in Piura.

Living in Lima is roughly 63% more expensive than Piura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Piura 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.19 PEN 14.74

$2.80 PEN 9.85

49.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.47 PEN 118

$11.17 PEN 39.32

199.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.89

$5.61 PEN 19.75

26.02%

Cappuccino

$2.59 PEN 9.11

$3.26 PEN 11.46

-20.55%

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

$0.91 PEN 3.19

$1.69 PEN 5.94

-46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 PEN 2.12

$0.49 PEN 1.71

22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.63

$2.23 PEN 7.86

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 PEN 13.49

$2.81 PEN 9.88

36.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 PEN 5.05

$1.09 PEN 3.82

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.56

$3.00 PEN 10.55

-9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 PEN 4.61

$1.41 PEN 4.98

-7.09%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.27

$2.04 PEN 7.19

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 PEN 28.41

$7.93 PEN 27.91

1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 PEN 19.84

$6.91 PEN 24.33

-18.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 PEN 36.92

$9.62 PEN 33.88

9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 PEN 7.04

$1.29 PEN 4.54

55.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.92

$0.87 PEN 3.06

27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 4.03

$0.84 PEN 2.97

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.38

$1.10 PEN 3.86

12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.51

$1.27 PEN 4.47

-21.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.28

$0.57 PEN 2.02

63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 PEN 2.93

$0.58 PEN 2.05

43.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 3.05

$0.79 PEN 2.79

10.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 19.22

$8.27 PEN 29.10

-33.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 PEN 30.32

$10.69 PEN 37.64

-19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PEN 6.02

$1.77 PEN 6.22

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 PEN 10.87

$2.70 PEN 9.51

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.53

$0.40 PEN 1.41

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.22 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 PEN 11.59

$1.64 PEN 5.77

100.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 PEN 7.74

$1.67 PEN 5.87

31.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.31 PEN 29.24

$5.48 PEN 19.28

51.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 PEN 4.62

$1.43 PEN 5.04

-8.39%

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

$19.4K PEN 68.3K

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

$24.5K PEN 86.4K

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

$56.8 PEN 200

$39.50 PEN 139

43.85%

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

$12.44 PEN 43.80

$8.56 PEN 30.13

45.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.14 PEN 85.0

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 PEN 106

$27.98 PEN 98.5

7.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 PEN 66.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 PEN 24.96

$2.27 PEN 7.98

212.33%

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

$219 PEN 770

$185 PEN 651

18.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 PEN 28.6K

$2,190 PEN 7,708

270.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.52 PEN 174

$41.63 PEN 147

18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.79 PEN 130

$12.67 PEN 44.58

190.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 PEN 324

$55.0 PEN 193

67.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 PEN 311

$70.5 PEN 248

25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 PEN 2,148

$139 PEN 491

337.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,229

$126 PEN 445

176.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 PEN 3,577

$330 PEN 1,162

207.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 PEN 2,199

$389 PEN 1,370

60.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,185 PEN 7,693

$3,632 PEN 12.8K

-39.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 PEN 4,676

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,199

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

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

Last update for Lima: April 27, 2026

Last update for Piura: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Lima and $139 in Piura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lima vs $11.00 in Piura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $215 per month, with Piura cheaper across the board.

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 63% in total monthly costs ($998 vs $612 including rent). Piura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,498 in Lima and $918 in Piura 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $610 in Lima versus $139 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $998 per month in Lima versus $612 in Piura – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $612 in Piura versus $998 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 63% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.