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: $1,016 in Lima versus $903 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $1,357 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $1,811 in Trujillo.

Living in Lima is roughly 13% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Trujillo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.59

$3.64 PEN 12.21

19.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$24.00 PEN 80.5

34.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.58

$7.31 PEN 24.51

-3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.84

$3.32 PEN 11.15

-2.71%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.79

$0.97 PEN 3.26

16.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.61 PEN 2.05

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 8.99

$2.04 PEN 6.83

31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.19

$3.56 PEN 11.93

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.50

$1.41 PEN 4.74

16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.72

$2.12 PEN 7.12

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.50

$1.22 PEN 4.08

9.84%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.24

$4.22 PEN 14.16

-27.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.22

$7.78 PEN 26.10

15.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.87

$6.85 PEN 22.97

-13.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.87

$9.16 PEN 30.70

6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.03

$1.64 PEN 5.51

28.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.53

$0.57 PEN 1.92

84.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.87

$0.58 PEN 1.93

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.03

$0.86 PEN 2.89

74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.10

$0.94 PEN 3.14

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.16

$1.18 PEN 3.94

-20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.00

$1.25 PEN 4.21

-28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.19

$1.12 PEN 3.75

-15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.50

$4.50 PEN 15.10

29.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.26

$5.96 PEN 19.98

51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.50

$1.75 PEN 5.87

10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.82

$1.59 PEN 5.34

103.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.30

$0.61 PEN 2.05

13.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.2

$18.04 PEN 60.5

50.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.07

$2.60 PEN 8.72

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.81

$2.20 PEN 7.39

-7.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 24.97

$5.85 PEN 19.62

27.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.75

$1.67 PEN 5.60

2.40%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

$18.0K PEN 60.3K

23.44%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.6K

$28.6K PEN 95.8K

-6.41%

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

$71.1 PEN 238

$100 PEN 336

-29.02%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.8

$13.55 PEN 45.44

24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 94.9

$27.50 PEN 92.2

2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 113

$41.19 PEN 138

-17.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 66.9

$5.89 PEN 19.75

238.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.23

$4.43 PEN 14.84

63.21%

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

$181 PEN 606

$109 PEN 367

65.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.1K

$2,172 PEN 7,283

519.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 181

$73.5 PEN 246

-26.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 119

$15.14 PEN 50.8

134.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 288

$47.31 PEN 159

81.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 272

$44.86 PEN 150

80.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,543

$400 PEN 1,341

89.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,162

$257 PEN 862

34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,205

$768 PEN 2,574

63.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,165

$523 PEN 1,752

23.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,312

$1,183 PEN 3,967

109.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,242

$536 PEN 1,796

24.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.7

-23.59%

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $400 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 25% 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: $32.00 in Lima vs $24.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $208 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $903 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Lima, 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: $759 in Lima versus $400 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $109 in Trujillo. 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 $903 in Trujillo versus $1,016 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 13% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.