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: $985 in Lima versus $904 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $1,629 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $2,354 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Living in Lima is roughly 9% more expensive than Sao Caetano do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 27% lower, Sao Caetano do Sul 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$7.22 R$36.55

-43.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$32.10 R$162

2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$6.71 R$33.93

4.32%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$1.82 R$9.19

39.56%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$1.20 R$6.09

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.76 R$3.86

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$1.78 R$9.02

25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$2.81 R$14.20

36.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.06 R$5.36

33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$1.78 R$9.02

53.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.35 R$6.83

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.40 R$12.13

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$9.87 R$49.95

-19.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$4.23 R$21.40

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$8.65 R$43.78

22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$2.14 R$10.85

-5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.66 R$8.38

-35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$1.46 R$7.41

-22.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$1.70 R$8.60

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$1.48 R$7.49

-30.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$1.24 R$6.26

-22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.94 R$4.76

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.69 R$3.47

27.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$2.31 R$11.68

136.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$8.20 R$41.47

9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.31 R$6.64

33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$2.41 R$12.17

27.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.87 R$4.38

-22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$37.82 R$191

-19.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$1.16 R$5.87

191.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$0.63 R$3.19

250.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$7.76 R$39.29

5.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.10 R$5.55

22.73%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$21.6K R$109.1K

-10.40%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$28.4K R$143.5K

-14.30%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$54.0 R$273

4.96%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$13.29 R$67.2

-4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$22.07 R$112

8.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$48.06 R$243

-37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$47.38 R$240

-60.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$7.32 R$37.04

-7.92%

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

$218 PEN 740

$322 R$1,627

-32.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$8,894 R$45.0K

-11.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$52.6 R$266

-4.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$43.20 R$219

-15.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$79.7 R$403

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$77.4 R$392

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$331 R$1,672

83.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$280 R$1,414

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$629 R$3,182

64.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$907 R$4,587

-30.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$1,601 R$8,101

47.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$1,170 R$5,917

22.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$949 R$4,803

-34.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

11.17

-9.49%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $331 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lima vs $32.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $202 per month, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper across the board.

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 9% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $904 including rent). Sao Caetano do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sao Caetano do Sul earns 52% less. 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: $606 in Lima versus $331 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $322 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $904 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $985 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 9% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.