Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $506 a month against $1,045 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,045

/mo nomad

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Pucallpa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Lima versus $506 in Pucallpa.

Lima $1,045
Pucallpa $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,668 in Lima versus $833 in Pucallpa.

Lima $1,668
Pucallpa $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Lima versus $1,159 in Pucallpa.

Lima $2,292
Pucallpa $1,159

Living in Lima is roughly 107% more expensive than in Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 23% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 PEN 14.67

$2.33 PEN 8.05

82.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 PEN 121

$11.69 PEN 40.35

200.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 PEN 24.29

$5.13 PEN 17.71

37.23%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.41

$1.98 PEN 6.84

66.67%

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

$1.11 PEN 3.83

$0.99 PEN 3.42

12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.14

$0.28 PEN 0.95

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 PEN 9.12

$1.70 PEN 5.86

55.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.23

$2.36 PEN 8.14

86.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.60

$1.01 PEN 3.50

60.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 PEN 8.94

$3.66 PEN 12.62

-29.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

$1.18 PEN 4.09

11.86%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.17

$1.78 PEN 6.15

65.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 PEN 33.11

$1.99 PEN 6.88

381.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 PEN 19.69

$4.17 PEN 14.39

36.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 PEN 34.35

$3.39 PEN 11.69

193.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 PEN 6.71

$2.38 PEN 8.23

-18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$1.42 PEN 4.90

-27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 PEN 4.96

$1.48 PEN 5.09

-2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 PEN 5.27

$2.65 PEN 9.16

-42.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$2.84 PEN 9.79

-68.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$2.02 PEN 6.96

-55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 3.01

$2.36 PEN 8.14

-63.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.01 PEN 3.48

-12.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 PEN 19.48

$4.60 PEN 15.88

22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 PEN 33.01

$7.99 PEN 27.59

19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.64

$2.29 PEN 7.89

-16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 PEN 10.89

$3.43 PEN 11.84

-7.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.48

$1.19 PEN 4.11

-39.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.28 PEN 111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 PEN 12.29

$1.42 PEN 4.90

150.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 PEN 6.87

$0.59 PEN 2.05

237.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 PEN 27.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.69

$1.28 PEN 4.41

28.91%

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

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

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

$28.3K PEN 97.5K

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

$67.7 PEN 234

$52.5 PEN 181

28.91%

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

$15.71 PEN 54.2

$35.19 PEN 121

-55.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.76 PEN 92.4

$44.14 PEN 152

-39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.50 PEN 112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 PEN 67.9

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.50

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

$309 PEN 1,066

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 PEN 186

$52.9 PEN 183

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 PEN 124

$35.26 PEN 122

1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 PEN 281

$34.67 PEN 120

135.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 PEN 275

$67.0 PEN 231

18.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 PEN 2,533

$116 PEN 399

535.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,288

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 PEN 4,441

$236 PEN 814

445.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 PEN 2,636

$126 PEN 436

505.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 PEN 8,402

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 PEN 4,689

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$666 PEN 2,298

$408 PEN 1,408

63.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

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

Last update for Lima: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.7%

Pucallpa

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$229 21.9%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Lima

$124 11.8%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 10.8%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.5%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Lima

$49 4.7%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Pucallpa

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $734 in Lima and $116 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 63% 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 in Lima vs $12 in Pucallpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $204 per month, with Pucallpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

Same time as Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

326,040

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lima Pucallpa 490 km

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Lima
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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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,045 in Lima and $506 in Pucallpa, so Pucallpa is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $734 in Lima versus $116 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $35 in Lima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,045 per month in Lima versus $506 in Pucallpa – Pucallpa is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $506 in Pucallpa versus $1,045 in Lima, a $800 budget is realistic in Pucallpa but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Pucallpa 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.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Lima on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.