Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Sterling

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,818 in Sterling, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Sterling

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $2,818 in Sterling.

Lima $1,042
Sterling $2,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $4,310 in Sterling.

Lima $1,651
Sterling $4,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $5,802 in Sterling.

Lima $2,259
Sterling $5,802

Living in Lima costs roughly 63% less than in Sterling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 23% below, Sterling is 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.96

$19.31 $19.31

-75.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$74.1 $74.1

-53.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.13

$12.39 $12.39

-43.42%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$6.08 $6.08

-47.04%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.95 $2.95

-61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$2.64 $2.64

-76.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$5.65 $5.65

-48.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.64

$8.02 $8.02

-47.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$1.06 $1.06

49.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$4.02 $4.02

-35.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$5.26 $5.26

-75.29%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$5.58 $5.58

-47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.83

$16.94 $16.94

-43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$14.42 $14.42

-60.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.59

$18.73 $18.73

-49.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$5.64 $5.64

-64.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$2.36 $2.36

-56.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$5.00 $5.00

-71.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$5.67 $5.67

-73.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$2.84 $2.84

-67.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$3.91 $3.91

-77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.31 $2.31

-62.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.66 $2.66

-66.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.84

$10.06 $10.06

-45.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.01

$13.73 $13.73

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.22

$2.35 $2.35

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$5.60 $5.60

-43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$4.89 $4.89

-86.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.80

$3.95 $3.95

-13.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.05

$24.45 $24.45

-60.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$1.00 $1.00

71.00%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

$35.2K $35.2K

-37.95%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

11.10%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$152 $152

-56.57%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$50.8 $50.8

-69.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$79.3 $79.3

-66.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$29.55 $29.55

11.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.3

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.50

$18.27 $18.27

-61.03%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$1,887 $1,887

-83.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

-23.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$53.4 $53.4

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$45.51 $45.51

-21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 282

$84.7 $84.7

-3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$107 $107

-26.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,502

$1,266 $1,266

-42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$1,506 $1,506

-75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,298

$2,003 $2,003

-37.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$2,849 $2,849

-74.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,193

$3,276 $3,276

-27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,698

$2,327 $2,327

-41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

$3,692 $3,692

-82.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.86

22.16%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sterling: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Sterling

$1.5K 53.4% 304% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Sterling

$472 16.8% 107% $244

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Sterling

$331 11.8% 161% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Sterling

$131 4.6% 17.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Sterling

$282 10% 161% $174

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Sterling

$31 * 1.1% 35.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Sterling

$66 2.3% 40.2% $19

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 $727 in Lima and $1,266 in Sterling. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sterling pays about 5.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Lima vs $74 in Sterling for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $472 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Sterling

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

14,782

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

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Lima Sterling 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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 Sterling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $2,818 in Sterling, so Lima is about 63% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Lima. 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: $727 in Lima versus $1,266 in Sterling. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Sterling. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,042 per month in Lima versus $2,818 in Sterling – Lima is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,818 in Sterling, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Sterling. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lima wins on affordability, Sterling on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.