Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $932 a month against $996 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Santa Rita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $932 in Santa Rita.

Lima $996
Santa Rita $932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,412 in Santa Rita.

Lima $1,594
Santa Rita $1,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $1,893 in Santa Rita.

Lima $2,191
Santa Rita $1,893

Living in Lima is roughly 7% more expensive than in Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Santa Rita 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$3.43 ₲19.5K

28.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$33.54 ₲190.4K

4.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$3.33 ₲18.9K

-1.80%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$0.87 ₲4,948

26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.49 ₲2,783

32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$1.34 ₲7,583

233.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.12 ₲6,371

41.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$1.82 ₲10.3K

41.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.15 ₲6,553

18.26%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.74 ₲15.6K

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$7.86 ₲44.6K

15.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$4.33 ₲24.6K

34.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$11.25 ₲63.9K

-12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$5.25 ₲29.8K

-61.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$3.43 ₲19.5K

-60.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$3.09 ₲17.5K

-52.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$3.30 ₲18.7K

-70.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$2.61 ₲14.8K

-67.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.81 ₲4,606

8.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.40 ₲7,950

-37.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$5.07 ₲28.8K

73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.75 ₲15.6K

16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.33 ₲7,530

-48.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$40.55 ₲230.2K

-34.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$4.37 ₲24.8K

-53.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$3.83 ₲21.7K

86.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.42 ₲8,087

16.20%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$9,647 ₲54.8M

129.88%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$105 ₲594.6K

-30.27%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$23.85 ₲135.4K

-31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$37.63 ₲213.6K

-26.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$43.27 ₲245.6K

-23.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$25.68 ₲145.8K

-24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$8.31 ₲47.2K

-11.07%

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

$182 PEN 624

$77.2 ₲437.9K

135.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$50.9 ₲288.9K

3.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$83.6 ₲474.7K

-59.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$68.9 ₲391.2K

14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$346 ₲2.0M

109.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$254 ₲1.4M

34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$421 ₲2.4M

181.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$340 ₲1.9M

86.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$514 ₲2.9M

27.01%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $346 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 27% 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 $34.00 in Santa Rita. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $230, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

35,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Santa Rita 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Santa Rita

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 Santa Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Santa Rita differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $932 including rent). Santa Rita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $346 in Santa Rita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $77.2 in Santa Rita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $932 in Santa Rita versus $996 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rita but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.