Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Sonsonate

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,165 in Sonsonate, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Sonsonate
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Sonsonate Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Sonsonate

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Sonsonate

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,165 in Sonsonate.

Lima $1,012
Sonsonate $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,731 in Sonsonate.

Lima $1,589
Sonsonate $1,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,296 in Sonsonate.

Lima $2,167
Sonsonate $2,296

Living in Lima costs roughly 13% less than in Sonsonate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Sonsonate 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$6.59 $6.59

-33.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$45.03 $45.03

-21.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$7.09 $7.09

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.56 $3.56

-8.43%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.87 $0.87

-28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.04 $2.04

29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.51 $3.51

25.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.81 $1.81

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.93 $2.93

-12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.37 $1.37

-1.46%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$3.11 $3.11

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$7.49 $7.49

18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$6.80 $6.80

-12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$10.43 $10.43

-6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$5.18 $5.18

-60.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.36 $1.36

-22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.66 $2.66

-49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$3.54 $3.54

-57.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$3.00 $3.00

-70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$3.34 $3.34

-72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.96 $0.96

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.97 $0.97

-7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.02 $4.02

46.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$11.94 $11.94

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.15 $2.15

-12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.93 $2.93

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$5.84 $5.84

-34.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$3.07 $3.07

-34.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$20.36 $20.36

-65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.24 $1.24

38.71%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

-11.97%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

-5.14%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$132 $132

-44.48%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$21.63 $21.63

-24.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$42.60 $42.60

-35.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.93 $4.93

43.00%

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

$182 PEN 627

$161 $161

13.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$4,811 $4,811

171.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$66.2 $66.2

-18.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$46.96 $46.96

-26.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$118 $118

-30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$119 $119

-34.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$558 $558

29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$351 $351

-2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$750 $750

62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$494 $494

31.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.5

5.18%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sonsonate: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Sonsonate

$351 30.2% 2.3% $8

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Sonsonate

$287 24.6% 27.1% $61

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Sonsonate

$142 12.2% 14.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Sonsonate

$196 16.8% 67.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Sonsonate

$158 13.5% 40.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Sonsonate

$9.9 * 0.9% 78.6% $36

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Sonsonate

$21 * 1.8% 51.3% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $558 in Sonsonate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $45.00 in Sonsonate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $287 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇸🇻 Sonsonate

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

59,468

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Sonsonate 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Sonsonate

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 Sonsonate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Sonsonate differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,165 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 $1,748 in Sonsonate 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 $558 in Sonsonate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Sonsonate. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $1,165 in Sonsonate – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,165 in Sonsonate, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Sonsonate. 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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Sonsonate are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Sonsonate. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.