Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in San Jose

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Lima $996
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Lima $1,594
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Lima $2,191
San Jose $3,857

Living in Lima costs roughly 49% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, San Jose is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

$12.22 ₡5,510

-63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

$11.77 ₡5,305

-41.89%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

$4.30 ₡1,939

-23.95%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$2.72 ₡1,226

-59.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$1.84 ₡830

-64.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$3.28 ₡1,480

-21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

$4.36 ₡1,966

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.48

$2.38 ₡1,074

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$3.12 ₡1,408

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.67

$2.41 ₡1,086

-43.57%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.14

$3.47 ₡1,564

-14.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.30

$10.57 ₡4,767

-13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$10.56 ₡4,758

-44.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.80

$13.75 ₡6,196

-28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$5.04 ₡2,274

-60.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$1.61 ₡727

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$4.59 ₡2,069

-70.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.08

$3.84 ₡1,731

-61.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.32

$3.77 ₡1,700

-74.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$3.76 ₡1,693

-77.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.12 ₡506

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.98

$3.20 ₡1,441

-72.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$5.84 ₡2,632

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.31

$19.73 ₡8,897

-55.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.59

$2.75 ₡1,240

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

$3.66 ₡1,650

-12.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.12 ₡503

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 92.0

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-58.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.46 ₡1,110

54.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.02

$1.54 ₡692

32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

$8.46 ₡3,815

-15.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.67

$1.55 ₡699

6.45%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

2.19%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.40%

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

$73.0 PEN 251

$94.7 ₡42.7K

-22.86%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-53.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.9

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-52.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-54.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.41

$7.83 ₡3,532

-5.62%

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

$182 PEN 626

$971 ₡437.9K

-81.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-21.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 181

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-26.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-37.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$129 ₡58.2K

-35.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

$133 ₡60.0K

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

$934 ₡420.9K

-22.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

$770 ₡347.2K

-55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-39.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-51.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,423

$2,277 ₡1.0M

7.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,718

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-23.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,245

$1,006 ₡453.5K

-35.13%

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 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 127% $430

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 76.3% $173

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 83.8% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 61.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 55.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 83.6% $40

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 83.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 54% 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: $35.00 in Lima vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $399 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima San Jose 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
San Jose

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 San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and San Jose differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,949 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in San Jose. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Jose. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.