Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Smithers

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $2,340 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Smithers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $2,340 in Smithers.

Lima $1,012
Smithers $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $3,213 in Smithers.

Lima $1,589
Smithers $3,213

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $4,086 in Smithers.

Lima $2,167
Smithers $4,086

Living in Lima costs roughly 57% less than in Smithers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Smithers is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$17.65 CA$24.95

-75.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$64.1 CA$90.7

-45.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$10.80 CA$15.27

-36.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.57 CA$5.05

-8.68%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.97 CA$2.79

-43.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.56 CA$2.21

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$5.40 CA$7.63

-50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$5.31 CA$7.51

-16.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$2.06 CA$2.91

-20.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.52 CA$3.57

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$3.34 CA$4.72

-59.58%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.36 CA$4.75

-13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$9.57 CA$13.54

-7.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$11.02 CA$15.58

-45.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$14.76 CA$20.87

-33.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$3.77 CA$5.33

-45.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.26 CA$1.78

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$3.56 CA$5.03

-62.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$3.73 CA$5.27

-59.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.41 CA$3.41

-63.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.20 CA$3.11

-58.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.46 CA$3.47

-63.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.55 CA$2.20

-41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$12.79 CA$18.08

-53.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$12.64 CA$17.86

-32.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.65 CA$3.75

-29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.66 CA$3.77

21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.30 CA$3.26

-70.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$65.1 CA$92.0

-58.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.93 CA$4.15

30.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.23 CA$1.73

64.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$20.08 CA$28.38

-64.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.14 CA$1.61

50.88%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$30.4K CA$43.0K

-26.57%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$20.1K CA$28.4K

26.78%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$119 CA$168

-38.47%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$36.58 CA$51.7

-55.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$45.68 CA$64.6

-39.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$37.18 CA$52.6

-14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$18.51 CA$26.17

4.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$10.81 CA$15.28

-34.78%

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

$182 PEN 627

$642 CA$908

-71.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$11.6K CA$16.4K

12.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$53.8 CA$76.0

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$38.56 CA$54.5

-11.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$85.7 CA$121

-3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$94.8 CA$134

-17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$1,240 CA$1,753

-41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$1,262 CA$1,784

-72.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,967 CA$2,781

-38.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$1,619 CA$2,288

-59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$3,672 CA$5,192

-34.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$3,113 CA$4,400

-56.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

4.66

91.85%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Smithers: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9% 267% $918

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Smithers

$344 14.7% 52.2% $118

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Smithers

$268 11.5% 116% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Smithers

$201 8.6% 72% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Smithers

$123 5.3% 9.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Smithers

$59 2.5% 27.8% $13

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Smithers

$83 3.6% 91.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $1,240 in Smithers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $64.0 in Smithers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $344 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇦 Smithers

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

5,400

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Smithers 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Smithers

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 Smithers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Smithers differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $2,340 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,518 in Lima and $3,510 in Smithers 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: $721 in Lima versus $1,240 in Smithers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $642 in Smithers. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Smithers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $2,340 in Smithers, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Smithers. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Smithers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.