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: $999 in Lima versus $779 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $1,173 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $1,567 in Trujillo.

Living in Lima is roughly 28% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Trujillo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.76

$3.24 PEN 10.99

25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$13.70 PEN 46.43

148.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.84

$6.73 PEN 22.80

0.15%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.55

$2.98 PEN 10.08

-15.44%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$0.89 PEN 3.02

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.59 PEN 2.00

10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.34

$1.92 PEN 6.51

13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.37

$3.30 PEN 11.17

19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.05 PEN 3.55

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.21

$1.77 PEN 6.01

53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.63

$1.13 PEN 3.81

21.24%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.97

$3.88 PEN 13.14

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.84

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.52

$6.47 PEN 21.94

-10.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.28

$7.52 PEN 25.47

42.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.71

$1.17 PEN 3.97

69.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$0.58 PEN 1.96

86.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$0.58 PEN 1.95

89.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$0.71 PEN 2.40

67.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$0.92 PEN 3.13

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$0.82 PEN 2.78

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.93

$0.91 PEN 3.09

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.92 PEN 3.11

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.94

$4.27 PEN 14.48

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.48

$5.79 PEN 19.61

55.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.98

$1.41 PEN 4.76

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.41

$1.65 PEN 5.59

86.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.64 PEN 2.16

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$16.38 PEN 55.5

93.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.41

$2.80 PEN 9.48

20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.53

$1.99 PEN 6.74

11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 27.98

$5.66 PEN 19.20

45.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.36 PEN 4.61

-0.74%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$16.9K PEN 57.2K

14.86%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.2K

$26.2K PEN 88.8K

-7.40%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$76.6 PEN 259

-26.28%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.59

$8.48 PEN 28.75

48.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.2

$21.22 PEN 71.9

11.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$36.00 PEN 122

-13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$5.39 PEN 18.28

246.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.15

$4.16 PEN 14.09

64.18%

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

$219 PEN 742

$102 PEN 346

114.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.4K

$1,963 PEN 6,653

312.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$70.8 PEN 240

-29.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$14.00 PEN 47.43

154.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 302

$32.71 PEN 111

172.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 301

$32.74 PEN 111

171.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,113

$365 PEN 1,237

70.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,166

$257 PEN 870

34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,481

$602 PEN 2,040

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,095

$489 PEN 1,657

26.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,844

$1,138 PEN 3,856

103.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,729

$821 PEN 2,783

69.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,118

$524 PEN 1,777

19.19%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $365 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 19% 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: $34.00 in Lima vs $14.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $159 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 28% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $779 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $623 in Lima versus $365 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $102 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 $779 in Trujillo versus $999 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 28% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.