Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Trujillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Trujillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $985 in Lima versus $784 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $1,170 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $1,557 in Trujillo.

Living in Lima is roughly 26% more expensive than Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 27% lower, Trujillo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$3.21 PEN 10.91

28.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$13.85 PEN 47.14

137.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$6.75 PEN 22.96

3.70%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$2.88 PEN 9.81

-11.81%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.13

$0.89 PEN 3.04

3.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.57 PEN 1.95

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$1.99 PEN 6.77

12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.07

$3.34 PEN 11.37

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.01 PEN 3.42

39.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$1.83 PEN 6.24

49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.14 PEN 3.88

14.04%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.06

$3.85 PEN 13.11

-23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.11

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.30

$6.53 PEN 22.22

-13.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.00

$7.62 PEN 25.94

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.87

$1.13 PEN 3.85

78.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.65

$0.58 PEN 1.96

84.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.85

$0.58 PEN 1.96

94.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$0.76 PEN 2.58

64.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.51

$0.93 PEN 3.18

10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$0.81 PEN 2.74

18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.89 PEN 3.03

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.86 PEN 2.94

2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$4.05 PEN 13.77

34.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$5.77 PEN 19.63

55.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.42 PEN 4.83

23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.47

$1.70 PEN 5.80

81.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.59 PEN 2.00

13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$16.72 PEN 56.9

83.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$2.75 PEN 9.35

22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$2.05 PEN 6.97

7.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.96

$5.52 PEN 18.79

48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.36 PEN 4.62

-0.74%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$16.9K PEN 57.7K

13.96%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$26.6K PEN 90.4K

-8.46%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$74.4 PEN 253

-23.74%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.00

$8.19 PEN 27.85

54.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$20.99 PEN 71.4

14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$35.41 PEN 120

-15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$5.65 PEN 19.21

235.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$4.07 PEN 13.84

65.60%

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

$218 PEN 740

$106 PEN 360

105.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$2,029 PEN 6,902

289.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$69.7 PEN 237

-28.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$13.96 PEN 47.48

162.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$33.78 PEN 115

165.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$32.69 PEN 111

169.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,062

$366 PEN 1,246

65.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,189

$254 PEN 865

37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,524

$602 PEN 2,047

72.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,135

$477 PEN 1,624

31.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,054

$1,138 PEN 3,872

108.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,880

$834 PEN 2,837

72.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$539 PEN 1,834

16.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

12.7

-20.39%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $366 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lima vs $14.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $160 per month, with Trujillo 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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Trujillo differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $784 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lima pays 16% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $606 in Lima versus $366 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $106 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Trujillo versus $985 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo 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 Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.