Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

Lima $996
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

Lima $1,594
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

Lima $2,191
Vancouver $5,072

Living in Lima costs roughly 63% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Vancouver is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

$17.30 CA$24.61

-74.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

$69.0 CA$98.1

-49.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

$10.56 CA$15.02

-35.23%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

$3.89 CA$5.53

-15.94%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$2.05 CA$2.92

-46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$1.62 CA$2.31

-59.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$5.54 CA$7.89

-53.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

$6.33 CA$9.00

-29.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.48

$2.31 CA$3.29

-31.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$2.50 CA$3.56

3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.67

$4.44 CA$6.32

-69.37%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.14

$4.07 CA$5.79

-27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.30

$11.28 CA$16.04

-19.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$13.42 CA$19.09

-56.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.80

$20.10 CA$28.59

-51.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$4.06 CA$5.77

-50.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$1.33 CA$1.89

-18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$3.91 CA$5.56

-64.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.08

$4.05 CA$5.77

-63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.32

$2.72 CA$3.87

-64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$2.89 CA$4.11

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.53 CA$3.60

-65.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.98

$1.62 CA$2.30

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$15.57 CA$22.15

-62.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.31

$14.05 CA$19.99

-37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.59

$2.69 CA$3.82

-28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

$2.99 CA$4.26

7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.44 CA$3.47

-72.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 92.0

$83.4 CA$119

-67.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.71 CA$3.86

40.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.02

$1.57 CA$2.23

29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

$31.39 CA$44.65

-77.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.67

$1.38 CA$1.96

19.57%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

-20.99%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

29.53%

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

$73.0 PEN 251

$81.2 CA$115

-10.00%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.9

$37.45 CA$53.3

-56.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.9

$51.4 CA$73.1

-46.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

$43.47 CA$61.8

-23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

$12.53 CA$17.82

55.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.41

$12.54 CA$17.84

-41.07%

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

$182 PEN 626

$1,094 CA$1,557

-83.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

-33.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 181

$57.0 CA$81.1

-7.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

$32.73 CA$46.56

4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$92.6 CA$132

-9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

$94.2 CA$134

-16.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

$1,745 CA$2,483

-58.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

$1,484 CA$2,111

-77.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

$2,998 CA$4,264

-60.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

$2,422 CA$3,446

-73.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,423

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-69.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,718

$6,457 CA$9,184

-78.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,245

$3,799 CA$5,404

-82.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

4.28

108.88%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 336% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 76.1% $172

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 119% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 45.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 43.3% $21

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Vancouver

$104 4% 139% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 482% 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 $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $399 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

631,486

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Vancouver 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Vancouver differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $2,684 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 482% lower in Vancouver. 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: $723 in Lima versus $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $1,094 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 169% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.