Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and San Miguel de Tucuman

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,233 in San Miguel de Tucuman, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in San Miguel de Tucuman
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San Miguel de Tucuman Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

San Miguel de Tucuman

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in San Miguel de Tucuman

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 Miguel de Tucuman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,233 in San Miguel de Tucuman.

Lima $1,012
San Miguel de Tucuman $1,233

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,094 in San Miguel de Tucuman.

Lima $1,589
San Miguel de Tucuman $2,094

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,955 in San Miguel de Tucuman.

Lima $2,167
San Miguel de Tucuman $2,955

Living in Lima costs roughly 18% less than in San Miguel de Tucuman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, San Miguel de Tucuman 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$18.51 ARS 28.1K

-76.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$52.7 ARS 79.9K

-33.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

-44.97%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.34 ARS 5,062

-2.40%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.36 ARS 3,575

-52.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.92 ARS 2,909

-67.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$3.58 ARS 5,436

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$4.31 ARS 6,535

2.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.40 ARS 2,119

16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.50 ARS 3,799

2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.99 ARS 3,024

-32.16%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.69 ARS 4,089

7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$11.53 ARS 17.5K

-23.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$7.62 ARS 11.6K

-21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$11.41 ARS 17.3K

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.14 ARS 3,253

-4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.14 ARS 3,254

-50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.39 ARS 2,104

-2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.81 ARS 4,264

-46.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.04 ARS 1,584

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.03 ARS 1,558

-10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.68 ARS 2,555

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$3.35 ARS 5,091

76.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$4.51 ARS 6,844

88.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.87 ARS 2,844

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.03 ARS 4,601

6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.01 ARS 1,530

-32.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$1.44 ARS 2,187

164.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.09 ARS 1,648

57.80%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$29.9K ARS 45.4M

-25.49%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$38.6K ARS 58.6M

-33.99%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$110 ARS 166.6K

-33.45%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$16.00 ARS 24.3K

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$28.63 ARS 43.4K

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$31.21 ARS 47.4K

2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$9.87 ARS 15.0K

-28.57%

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

$182 PEN 627

$256 ARS 387.8K

-28.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$99.3 ARS 150.7K

-45.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$120 ARS 182.7K

-31.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$141 ARS 214.5K

-44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$522 ARS 791.4K

38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$333 ARS 505.0K

3.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$981 ARS 1.5M

24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$901 ARS 1.4M

-27.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Miguel de Tucuman: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$333 27% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$258 * 20.9% 14.1% $32

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$269 21.8% 117% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$154 12.5% 32.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$162 * 13.2% 44.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$51 4.1% 10.8% $5

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

San Miguel de Tucuman

$5.5 * 0.4% 87.4% $38

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 $522 in San Miguel de Tucuman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $53.0 in San Miguel de Tucuman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $258 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇦🇷 San Miguel de Tucuman

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

527,607

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima San Miguel de Tucuman 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
San Miguel de Tucuman

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 Miguel de Tucuman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and San Miguel de Tucuman differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,233 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 $1,850 in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 $522 in San Miguel de Tucuman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in San Miguel de Tucuman. 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 $1,233 in San Miguel de Tucuman – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,233 in San Miguel de Tucuman, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Miguel de Tucuman. 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 San Miguel de Tucuman 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 22% less than in San Miguel de Tucuman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.