Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Varginha

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $746 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
Learn more

Varginha Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Varginha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $746 in Varginha.

Lima $1,014
Varginha $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,182 in Varginha.

Lima $1,613
Varginha $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,618 in Varginha.

Lima $2,211
Varginha $1,618

Living in Lima is roughly 36% more expensive than in Varginha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Varginha 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$9.05 R$45.88

-51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$24.23 R$123

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$7.18 R$36.37

-5.29%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$0.99 R$5.02

233.33%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$0.92 R$4.66

15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$0.62 R$3.17

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$1.42 R$7.21

78.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$3.65 R$18.50

16.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$0.94 R$4.75

68.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$1.61 R$8.16

62.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.02 R$5.16

31.37%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$1.48 R$7.50

97.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$9.25 R$46.90

2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$3.71 R$18.79

54.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$8.88 R$45.00

9.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$1.38 R$6.98

46.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.36 R$6.89

-21.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.02 R$5.16

34.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$0.97 R$4.92

51.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$0.98 R$4.98

-3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.01 R$5.14

-9.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.51 R$2.61

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.68 R$3.46

30.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$2.15 R$10.92

166.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$4.98 R$25.22

84.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.14 R$5.76

61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$1.84 R$9.34

69.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.95 R$4.82

-24.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

$44.89 R$228

-42.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$1.02 R$5.19

247.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$0.76 R$3.88

172.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$6.51 R$33.01

19.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.11 R$5.61

54.05%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$24.0K R$121.8K

-10.16%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$29.3K R$148.8K

-2.59%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$104 R$527

-34.38%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$4.91 R$24.91

220.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$20.00 R$101

32.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$26.42 R$134

28.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$27.46 R$139

-26.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$8.15 R$41.30

-11.41%

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

$201 PEN 689

$219 R$1,109

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$4,400 R$22.3K

193.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$36.49 R$185

47.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$60.3 R$305

-40.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$80.7 R$409

3.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$60.6 R$307

30.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$149 R$757

388.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$120 R$611

189.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$274 R$1,391

332.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$259 R$1,310

169.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$1,677 R$8,503

40.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$1,204 R$6,104

12.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

$453 R$2,297

46.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

-12.20%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Varginha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Varginha

$120 16.2% 65.4% $228

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Varginha

$167 22.4% 26.6% $60

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Varginha

$126 16.9% 2.4% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Varginha

$107 14.4% 5.6% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Varginha

$129 17.3% 16.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Varginha

$43 5.7% 11.7% $5.7

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Varginha

$54 7.2% 25.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $149 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 46% 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 $24.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $167 per month, with Varginha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇧🇷 Varginha

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

136,467

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Varginha 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Varginha

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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Varginha differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $746 including rent). Varginha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $729 in Lima versus $149 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $219 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Varginha versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.