Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Sao Caetano do Sul Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Sao Caetano do Sul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $1,738 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $2,465 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Living in Lima is roughly 1% more expensive than in Sao Caetano do Sul, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Sao Caetano do Sul 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.62

$8.45 R$43.02

-48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$40.22 R$205

-20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.64

$8.10 R$41.27

-13.21%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.87

$2.22 R$11.30

45.50%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.80

$1.22 R$6.23

-7.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.80 R$4.09

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 9.02

$2.28 R$11.59

17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.23

$3.65 R$18.57

24.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$1.19 R$6.05

37.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.75

$2.11 R$10.75

23.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.51

$1.37 R$6.99

-2.19%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.27

$2.74 R$13.93

11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.30

$11.20 R$57.0

-19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.93

$5.17 R$26.33

14.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.95

$10.32 R$52.5

-5.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.04

$2.29 R$11.67

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.54

$1.81 R$9.22

-41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.88

$1.59 R$8.09

-8.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$1.79 R$9.12

-16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.11

$1.38 R$7.01

-32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.17

$1.20 R$6.12

-21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.00

$0.96 R$4.90

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$0.81 R$4.12

17.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.55

$2.35 R$11.99

147.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.34

$8.79 R$44.75

2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.52

$1.60 R$8.17

21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.85

$2.39 R$12.17

35.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.31

$0.37 R$1.90

86.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.11

$1.27 R$6.47

207.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$0.94 R$4.77

115.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 25.04

$8.39 R$42.74

-11.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.77

$1.23 R$6.28

39.02%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

$23.0K R$117.0K

-3.37%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

$31.0K R$158.1K

-13.89%

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

$71.1 PEN 239

$100.0 R$509

-28.90%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.9

$15.66 R$79.8

8.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 95.1

$21.84 R$111

29.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 114

$48.89 R$249

-30.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 67.1

$44.26 R$225

-54.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.29

$9.56 R$48.71

-24.37%

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

$181 PEN 607

$430 R$2,189

-57.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

$9,663 R$49.2K

39.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 182

$61.6 R$314

-12.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 120

$55.8 R$284

-36.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 289

$94.5 R$481

-9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 272

$83.5 R$425

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,550

$406 R$2,070

86.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,165

$301 R$1,534

15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,216

$810 R$4,124

54.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,171

$820 R$4,179

-21.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,335

$1,779 R$9,060

39.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,676

$1,405 R$7,154

-0.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,248

$907 R$4,619

-26.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.81

-17.30%

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Lima vs $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $228, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Sao Caetano do Sul differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,011 including rent). Sao Caetano do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Sao Caetano do Sul. 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: $759 in Lima versus $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,016 per month in Lima versus $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,016 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.