Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and San Ramon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,755 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
85

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,755 in San Ramon.

Lima $996
San Ramon $1,755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,755 in San Ramon.

Lima $1,594
San Ramon $2,755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $3,755 in San Ramon.

Lima $2,191
San Ramon $3,755

Living in Lima costs roughly 43% less than in San Ramon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, San Ramon is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

$11.87 ₡5,352

-62.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

$56.6 ₡25.5K

-38.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

$11.15 ₡5,025

-38.65%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

$4.31 ₡1,942

-24.13%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$2.60 ₡1,172

-57.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$1.91 ₡862

-65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$3.35 ₡1,510

-22.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

$4.36 ₡1,968

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.48

$2.33 ₡1,050

-31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$3.09 ₡1,392

-16.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.67

$2.44 ₡1,099

-44.26%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.14

$5.22 ₡2,354

-43.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.30

$10.80 ₡4,868

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$10.47 ₡4,720

-44.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.80

$14.16 ₡6,384

-30.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$5.22 ₡2,352

-61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$1.55 ₡699

-30.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$3.45 ₡1,557

-60.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.08

$3.37 ₡1,521

-56.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.32

$3.02 ₡1,361

-68.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$3.18 ₡1,436

-73.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.26 ₡569

-30.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.98

$2.67 ₡1,202

-67.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$5.74 ₡2,587

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.31

$16.49 ₡7,435

-46.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.59

$2.54 ₡1,143

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

$2.62 ₡1,182

22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.36 ₡612

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 92.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.51 ₡1,131

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.02

$1.64 ₡738

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

$8.98 ₡4,047

-20.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.67

$1.49 ₡672

10.74%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

1.78%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$35.1K ₡15.8M

-26.83%

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

$73.0 PEN 251

$145 ₡65.4K

-49.65%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.9

$44.41 ₡20.0K

-63.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.9

$54.9 ₡24.8K

-49.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

$73.2 ₡33.0K

-54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.41

$8.38 ₡3,778

-11.81%

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

$182 PEN 626

$858 ₡386.6K

-78.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 181

$71.2 ₡32.1K

-26.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

$57.2 ₡25.8K

-40.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$131 ₡59.2K

-36.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

$134 ₡60.4K

-41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

$793 ₡357.5K

-8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

$630 ₡284.0K

-46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

$1,848 ₡833.1K

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

$1,266 ₡570.7K

-49.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,423

$1,168 ₡526.5K

109.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,718

$1,157 ₡521.7K

18.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,245

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.78

1.82%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Ramon: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

San Ramon

$630 35.7% 85.2% $290

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

San Ramon

$382 21.6% 68.6% $155

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

San Ramon

$224 12.7% 80.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

San Ramon

$244 13.9% 109% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

San Ramon

$177 10.1% 57.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

San Ramon

$90 5.1% 87.9% $42

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9% 62.9% $27

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 $723 in Lima and $793 in San Ramon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $57.0 in San Ramon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $382 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

10,000

💱 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 Ramon 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
San Ramon

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 Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and San Ramon differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,755 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,494 in Lima and $2,633 in San Ramon 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: $723 in Lima versus $793 in San Ramon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in San Ramon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $1,755 in San Ramon – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,755 in San Ramon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Ramon. 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 Ramon 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 76% less than in San Ramon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.