Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Gatos, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $46,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

236

Cost of Living Index in Los Gatos, CA
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Los Gatos, CA Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,903

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Gatos, CA and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Los Gatos, CA and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA versus $1,012 in Lima.

Los Gatos, CA $4,903
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,295 in Los Gatos, CA versus $1,589 in Lima.

Los Gatos, CA $7,295
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,686 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,167 in Lima.

Los Gatos, CA $9,686
Lima $2,167

Living in Los Gatos, CA is roughly 385% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Gatos, CA is 263% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$4.40 PEN 15.10

471.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$35.17 PEN 121

180.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$6.89 PEN 23.65

115.97%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.26 PEN 11.20

99.39%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.12 PEN 3.84

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.62 PEN 2.11

295.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$2.65 PEN 9.09

204.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.41 PEN 15.15

85.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.56 PEN 8.78

72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.35 PEN 4.65

255.56%

Eggs

$6.56 $6.56

$2.90 PEN 9.96

126.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$8.85 PEN 30.38

180.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$5.98 PEN 20.52

95.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$9.78 PEN 33.59

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.05 PEN 7.02

172.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.06 PEN 3.66

192.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.35 PEN 4.64

260.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$1.50 PEN 5.15

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$0.88 PEN 3.03

285.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$0.92 PEN 3.15

321.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.89 PEN 3.07

243.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.90 PEN 3.10

202.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$5.90 PEN 20.27

24.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$8.52 PEN 29.26

50.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.88 PEN 6.45

14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.81 PEN 13.09

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.02 PEN 6.93

146.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-8.72%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

35.36%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

3.54%

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

$374 $374

$73.1 PEN 251

412.49%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.35 PEN 56.2

254.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$27.47 PEN 94.3

124.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 $147

$31.90 PEN 110

360.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 $17.05

$7.05 PEN 24.23

141.84%

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

$2,282 $2,282

$182 PEN 627

1150.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

84.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$53.8 PEN 185

-3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$34.32 PEN 118

14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$82.8 PEN 284

-9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$78.2 PEN 269

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$721 PEN 2,476

377.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

$343 PEN 1,179

838.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,089 $6,089

$651 PEN 2,235

835.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,511 $3,511

$2,414 PEN 8,292

45.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.94

-25.17%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.7%

Lima

$343 33.9% 89.3% $2.9K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$494 10.1%

Lima

$117 11.6% 76.3% $377

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$473 9.6%

Lima

$226 22.3% 52.2% $247

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$403 8.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 69.2% $279

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$181 3.7%

Lima

$46 4.6% 74.6% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

Lima

$112 11.1% 10% $10

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$29 * 0.6%

Lima

$43 4.3% 50.6% $15

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 $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

12:53 12:53 PM

2 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Los Gatos, CA Lima 7,210 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Gatos, CA
Lima

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

Los Gatos, CA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Gatos, CA and Lima differ by about 385% in total monthly costs ($4,903 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $7,355 in Los Gatos, CA and $1,518 in Lima 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: $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Los Gatos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,903 per month in Los Gatos, CA versus $1,012 in Lima – a 385% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Los Gatos, CA. 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.

Safety-wise, Los Gatos, CA and Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 385% less than in Los Gatos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.