Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Valparaiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,097 in Valparaiso, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Valparaiso
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Valparaiso Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Valparaiso

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,097

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Valparaiso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,097 in Valparaiso.

Lima $1,012
Valparaiso $1,097

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,615 in Valparaiso.

Lima $1,589
Valparaiso $1,615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,133 in Valparaiso.

Lima $2,167
Valparaiso $2,133

Living in Lima costs roughly 8% less than in Valparaiso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Valparaiso 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.08

$9.15 CLP 9,012

-51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$35.79 CLP 35.3K

-1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.61

$8.24 CLP 8,118

-16.38%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.19

$2.80 CLP 2,754

16.43%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$1.13 CLP 1,109

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.83 CLP 818

-25.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.08

$3.97 CLP 3,907

-33.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.12

$4.46 CLP 4,396

-1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.60

$1.24 CLP 1,225

31.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.76

$1.76 CLP 1,735

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.57 CLP 1,548

-14.01%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.94

$3.94 CLP 3,881

-26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.33

$11.32 CLP 11.1K

-21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.49

$6.94 CLP 6,835

-13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.54

$9.10 CLP 8,964

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.01

$1.61 CLP 1,588

27.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

$1.56 CLP 1,537

-32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$1.54 CLP 1,516

-12.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.14

$1.57 CLP 1,546

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$0.95 CLP 936

-7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.29 CLP 1,271

-28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.19 CLP 1,169

-25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.13 CLP 1,110

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$4.30 CLP 4,233

37.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.21

$5.13 CLP 5,052

66.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.44

$1.34 CLP 1,318

40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.03

$1.80 CLP 1,770

78.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.58 CLP 570

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

$52.1 CLP 51.3K

-48.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.07

$0.39 CLP 389

876.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$0.84 CLP 825

140.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.37

$3.69 CLP 3,631

92.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.90

$1.44 CLP 1,417

19.44%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

$14.3K CLP 14.1M

56.39%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

$18.7K CLP 18.4M

36.30%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$115 CLP 112.9K

-36.27%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.1

$12.38 CLP 12.2K

32.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.2

$18.89 CLP 18.6K

45.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 109

$24.08 CLP 23.7K

32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

$22.81 CLP 22.5K

-14.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.19

$7.68 CLP 7,561

-8.20%

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

$182 PEN 626

$433 CLP 426.4K

-57.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

$10.8K CLP 10.7M

20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 184

$32.15 CLP 31.7K

67.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$28.47 CLP 28.0K

20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$54.1 CLP 53.2K

53.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 268

$49.03 CLP 48.3K

59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,472

$463 CLP 455.8K

55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,177

$387 CLP 381.4K

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,179

$669 CLP 658.5K

82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,231

$554 CLP 545.5K

17.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,278

$1,543 CLP 1.5M

56.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,653

$1,037 CLP 1.0M

30.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,222

$758 CLP 746.9K

-14.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

5.39

65.86%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Valparaiso: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Valparaiso

$387 35.3% 12.8% $44

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Valparaiso

$224 20.4% 1% $2.2

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Valparaiso

$168 15.3% 35.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Valparaiso

$146 13.3% 24.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Valparaiso

$74 6.7% 34.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Valparaiso

$39 3.6% 14.3% $6.6

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Valparaiso

$59 5.4% 35.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $463 in Valparaiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valparaiso pays 17% 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: $35.00 in Lima vs $36.00 in Valparaiso. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $224, with Valparaiso cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇱 Valparaiso

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

251,177

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Valparaiso 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Valparaiso

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 Valparaiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Valparaiso differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,097 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Valparaiso. 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: $721 in Lima versus $463 in Valparaiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $433 in Valparaiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Valparaiso pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,097 in Valparaiso, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Valparaiso. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Valparaiso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.