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: $999 in Lima versus $922 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $1,640 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $2,358 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Living in Lima is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sao Caetano do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Sao Caetano do Sul 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$7.25 R$37.04

-44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$32.08 R$164

5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$6.91 R$35.33

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$1.78 R$9.12

41.57%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$1.24 R$6.34

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.79 R$4.01

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$1.83 R$9.36

18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$2.75 R$14.07

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.02 R$5.21

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$1.84 R$9.40

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.30 R$6.65

5.38%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.40 R$12.25

22.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$10.04 R$51.3

-21.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$4.19 R$21.41

37.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$8.38 R$42.82

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$2.16 R$11.04

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.59 R$8.13

-32.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$1.42 R$7.23

-22.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$1.75 R$8.95

-32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$1.45 R$7.42

-28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.26 R$6.43

-20.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$1.01 R$5.16

-13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.69 R$3.50

24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$2.26 R$11.56

147.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$7.85 R$40.11

14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.33 R$6.79

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.40 R$12.28

27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.91 R$4.67

-25.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$38.18 R$195

-17.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$1.16 R$5.94

190.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$0.62 R$3.16

258.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$7.83 R$40.02

5.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.05 R$5.36

28.57%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$21.9K R$111.8K

-11.29%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$28.8K R$147.3K

-15.83%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$54.1 R$277

4.29%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$13.12 R$67.0

-4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$22.63 R$116

4.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$47.80 R$244

-35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$46.60 R$238

-59.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$7.19 R$36.75

-5.01%

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

$219 PEN 743

$333 R$1,699

-34.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$8,648 R$44.2K

-6.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$51.3 R$262

-3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$41.88 R$214

-15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$77.7 R$397

14.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$75.7 R$387

17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$320 R$1,633

95.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$276 R$1,409

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$638 R$3,262

60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$916 R$4,682

-32.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$1,631 R$8,338

41.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$1,128 R$5,766

23.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$924 R$4,721

-32.34%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $320 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Lima vs $32.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $201 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 8% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $922 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 48% 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: $623 in Lima versus $320 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $333 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 11% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $922 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $999 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 8% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.