Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Rio do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio do Sul: $818 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Rio do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$818
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Rio do Sul

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 Rio do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $818 in Rio do Sul.

  • Lima $1,014
  • Rio do Sul $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,282 in Rio do Sul.

  • Lima $1,613
  • Rio do Sul $1,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,747 in Rio do Sul.

  • Lima $2,211
  • Rio do Sul $1,747

Living in Lima is roughly 24% more expensive than in Rio do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Rio do Sul 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.19
$5.05 R$25.60
-12.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.56 PEN 119
$22.25 R$113
55.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.80 PEN 23.37
$8.04 R$40.74
-15.42%
Cappuccino
$3.30 PEN 11.34
$2.12 R$10.75
55.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 PEN 3.64
$1.14 R$5.80
-7.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 PEN 2.26
$0.88 R$4.49
-25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 PEN 8.71
$2.82 R$14.30
-9.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 PEN 14.55
$4.04 R$20.46
4.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.43
$1.02 R$5.17
54.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.97
$1.94 R$9.84
34.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 PEN 4.60
$1.36 R$6.87
-1.47%
Eggs
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$1.64 R$8.33
78.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 PEN 32.45
$7.88 R$39.94
19.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.75 PEN 19.75
$4.06 R$20.57
41.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 PEN 33.29
$7.07 R$35.84
37.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 PEN 6.95
$1.58 R$8.01
27.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 PEN 3.66
$1.07 R$5.44
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$0.79 R$4.00
73.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 PEN 5.05
$1.41 R$7.12
4.26%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.25
$0.86 R$4.38
10.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$0.79 R$3.98
15.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$0.74 R$3.74
21.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.04
$0.77 R$3.90
15.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 PEN 19.71
$2.98 R$15.13
92.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.21 PEN 31.64
$4.07 R$20.64
126.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 PEN 6.31
$1.31 R$6.64
40.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 PEN 10.67
$2.51 R$12.75
23.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 PEN 2.46
$1.05 R$5.32
-31.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.03 PEN 89.4
$43.59 R$221
-40.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 PEN 12.17
$1.32 R$6.71
168.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 PEN 7.12
$0.78 R$3.97
165.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 PEN 26.62
$6.08 R$30.82
27.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.86
$1.21 R$6.16
41.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
$23.4K R$118.8K
-7.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
$33.8K R$171.4K
-15.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.2 PEN 234
$64.7 R$328
5.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.73 PEN 54.0
$9.83 R$49.86
60.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.48 PEN 90.9
$20.96 R$106
26.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 PEN 117
$26.42 R$134
28.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.10 PEN 69.0
$27.93 R$142
-28.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 PEN 24.80
$4.98 R$25.26
44.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 PEN 689
$312 R$1,583
-35.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
$11.0K R$55.9K
16.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 PEN 184
$49.65 R$252
8.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.88 PEN 123
$55.4 R$281
-35.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$79.8 R$404
5.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 PEN 271
$49.49 R$251
59.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 PEN 2,505
$363 R$1,838
101.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$349 PEN 1,197
$240 R$1,218
45.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 PEN 4,073
$686 R$3,477
72.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 PEN 2,391
$470 R$2,383
48.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,360 PEN 8,105
$1,680 R$8,518
40.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,356 PEN 4,657
$1,205 R$6,109
12.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Rio do Sul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 PEN 2,278
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.78
11.54
-23.92%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rio do Sul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$349
Rio do Sul
$240 31.1% $108
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$227
Rio do Sul
$167 26.4% $60
Eating Out
Lima
$123
Rio do Sul
$120 2.6% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$113
Rio do Sul
$105 7.1% $8.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$110
Rio do Sul
$96 13.5% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Rio do Sul
$36 24.8% $12
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Rio do Sul
$53 23.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $363 in Rio do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $22.00 in Rio do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $167 per month, with Rio do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇧🇷 Rio do Sul
🕒 Local time
18:06 6:06 PM
20:06 8:06 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
72,587
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Rio do Sul 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Rio do Sul

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 Rio do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Rio do Sul?
Lima and Rio do Sul differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $818 including rent). Rio do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Rio do Sul?
You'd need roughly $1,522 in Lima and $1,227 in Rio do Sul 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lima and in Rio do Sul?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $363 in Rio do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Rio do Sul?
Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $312 in Rio do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $818 in Rio do Sul versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rio do Sul but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Rio do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Rio do Sul?
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.
Where should expats move: Lima or Rio do Sul?
Expats usually find Rio do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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