Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ushuaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ushuaia: $957 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $660 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ushuaia
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Ushuaia Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Ushuaia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ushuaia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $957 in Ushuaia.

Lima $1,012
Ushuaia $957

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,570 in Ushuaia.

Lima $1,589
Ushuaia $1,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,183 in Ushuaia.

Lima $2,167
Ushuaia $2,183

Living in Lima is roughly 6% more expensive than in Ushuaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Ushuaia 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$10.38 ARS 15.8K

-57.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$33.08 ARS 50.2K

6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$9.06 ARS 13.7K

-23.95%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.78 ARS 4,224

17.27%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.67 ARS 2,528

-32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.54 ARS 2,330

-59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.16 ARS 3,274

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.04 ARS 4,610

45.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.31 ARS 1,984

24.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$1.57 ARS 2,388

63.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$2.02 ARS 3,069

-33.17%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.27 ARS 3,449

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

-12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$6.35 ARS 9,633

-5.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$9.23 ARS 14.0K

5.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.01 ARS 3,052

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.06 ARS 3,132

-48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.27 ARS 1,933

6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.62 ARS 3,980

-42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.17 ARS 1,779

-24.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.19 ARS 1,809

-22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.32 ARS 2,005

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.45 ARS 2,197

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$3.11 ARS 4,716

89.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$5.02 ARS 7,625

69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.97 ARS 2,994

-4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.02 ARS 4,583

6.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.77 ARS 1,173

-11.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$1.47 ARS 2,224

159.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$0.86 ARS 1,308

134.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$5.86 ARS 8,894

21.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.10 ARS 1,671

56.36%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

-20.00%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$30.4K ARS 46.1M

-15.99%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$65.8 ARS 99.8K

11.07%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$17.24 ARS 26.2K

-5.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$22.31 ARS 33.9K

23.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$26.50 ARS 40.2K

20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$13.68 ARS 20.8K

41.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$6.16 ARS 9,341

14.45%

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

$182 PEN 627

$220 ARS 333.3K

-16.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$2,731 ARS 4.1M

377.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$75.1 ARS 113.9K

-28.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$70.4 ARS 106.8K

-51.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$114 ARS 173.1K

-27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$111 ARS 168.4K

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$342 ARS 519.2K

110.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$233 ARS 354.2K

47.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$694 ARS 1.1M

75.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$537 ARS 814.2K

21.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,848 ARS 2.8M

30.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

-14.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

58.5

-84.72%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Ushuaia

$233 24.4% 32% $110

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Ushuaia

$231 24.1% 2.3% $5.1

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Ushuaia

$173 18.1% 39.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Ushuaia

$105 11% 9.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Ushuaia

$167 17.4% 48.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Ushuaia

$39 4.1% 15.6% $7.2

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Ushuaia

$8.9 * 0.9% 79.6% $35

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 $342 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Ushuaia. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $231, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇦🇷 Ushuaia

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

79,538

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Ushuaia 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ushuaia

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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Ushuaia differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $957 including rent). Ushuaia 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 $1,436 in Ushuaia 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 $342 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $957 in Ushuaia – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $957 in Ushuaia versus $1,012 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ushuaia but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.