Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Quesada

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,678 in Quesada, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
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Quesada Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Quesada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,678 in Quesada.

Lima $1,012
Quesada $1,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,663 in Quesada.

Lima $1,589
Quesada $2,663

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,648 in Quesada.

Lima $2,167
Quesada $3,648

Living in Lima costs roughly 40% less than in Quesada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Quesada is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.08

$12.24 ₡5,499

-64.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$62.1 ₡27.9K

-43.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.61

$11.41 ₡5,128

-39.61%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.19

$4.48 ₡2,013

-27.23%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$2.76 ₡1,242

-59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.94 ₡873

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.08

$3.20 ₡1,440

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.12

$2.39 ₡1,075

84.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.60

$2.40 ₡1,079

-32.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.76

$2.83 ₡1,271

-9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.53 ₡1,136

-46.64%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.94

$2.57 ₡1,154

12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.33

$10.84 ₡4,870

-18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.49

$10.25 ₡4,604

-41.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.54

$14.09 ₡6,330

-30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.01

$5.04 ₡2,265

-59.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$1.64 ₡735

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$1.08 ₡483

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.14

$3.93 ₡1,768

-61.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$3.91 ₡1,757

-77.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.56 ₡1,600

-74.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.12 ₡505

-20.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$3.20 ₡1,437

-71.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$6.01 ₡2,700

-1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.21

$15.29 ₡6,873

-44.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.44

$2.83 ₡1,273

-33.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.03

$3.64 ₡1,636

-11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.34 ₡602

-49.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.07

$1.56 ₡700

144.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$1.56 ₡699

29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.37

$8.94 ₡4,017

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.90

$1.52 ₡681

13.16%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

1.22%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

$35.5K ₡15.9M

-28.08%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-24.08%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.1

$29.69 ₡13.3K

-44.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.2

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-50.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 109

$72.0 ₡32.4K

-55.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

$16.14 ₡7,253

20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.19

$5.53 ₡2,483

27.49%

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

$182 PEN 626

$255 ₡114.8K

-28.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

$4,187 ₡1.9M

211.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 184

$71.2 ₡32.0K

-24.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-37.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$126 ₡56.7K

-34.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 268

$109 ₡49.0K

-28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,472

$807 ₡362.7K

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,177

$639 ₡287.1K

-46.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,179

$1,882 ₡845.6K

-35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,231

$1,263 ₡567.5K

-48.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,278

$4,173 ₡1.9M

-42.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,653

$2,149 ₡965.8K

-36.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,222

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.62

3.71%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quesada: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Quesada

$639 38.1% 86.1% $296

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Quesada

$371 22.1% 64.4% $145

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Quesada

$226 13.4% 81.9% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Quesada

$181 10.8% 55.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Quesada

$163 9.7% 45.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Quesada

$83 5% 80.6% $37

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Quesada

$15 * 0.9% 66.2% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $807 in Quesada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $62.0 in Quesada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $371 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 Quesada

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

42,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Quesada 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Quesada

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 Quesada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Quesada differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,678 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,518 in Lima and $2,517 in Quesada 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: $721 in Lima versus $807 in Quesada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Quesada. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $1,678 in Quesada – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,678 in Quesada, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Quesada. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Quesada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Quesada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.