Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masaya and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Masaya: $824 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Masaya
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Masaya Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Masaya

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$824

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Masaya 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 Masaya and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $824 in Masaya versus $1,012 in Lima.

Masaya $824
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,287 in Masaya versus $1,589 in Lima.

Masaya $1,287
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,749 in Masaya versus $2,167 in Lima.

Masaya $1,749
Lima $2,167

Living in Masaya costs roughly 19% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Masaya 39% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 NIO 367

$4.40 PEN 15.10

127.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 NIO 1,277

$35.17 PEN 121

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 NIO 287

$6.89 PEN 23.65

13.64%

Cappuccino

$2.55 NIO 93.6

$3.26 PEN 11.20

-21.78%

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

$0.91 NIO 33.39

$1.12 PEN 3.84

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 NIO 25.47

$0.62 PEN 2.11

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 NIO 53.5

$2.65 PEN 9.09

-44.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NIO 81.9

$4.41 PEN 15.15

-49.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 NIO 46.37

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 NIO 85.4

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-8.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NIO 68.2

$1.35 PEN 4.65

37.78%

Eggs

$2.38 NIO 87.2

$2.90 PEN 9.96

-17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 NIO 418

$8.85 PEN 30.38

28.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 NIO 238

$5.98 PEN 20.52

8.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 NIO 277

$9.78 PEN 33.59

-22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 NIO 144

$2.05 PEN 7.02

91.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 NIO 22.40

$1.06 PEN 3.66

-42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.3

$1.35 PEN 4.64

36.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 NIO 92.6

$1.50 PEN 5.15

68.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.04 NIO 148

$0.88 PEN 3.03

359.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NIO 83.3

$0.92 PEN 3.15

146.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 NIO 38.71

$0.89 PEN 3.07

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 37.06

$0.90 PEN 3.10

12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 NIO 103

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-52.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 NIO 530

$8.52 PEN 29.26

69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 NIO 53.9

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-30.75%

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)

$1.67 NIO 61.2

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-56.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 NIO 59.2

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-19.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 NIO 254

$7.11 PEN 24.41

-2.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 NIO 47.98

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-23.84%

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

$23.3K NIO 855.0K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

4.63%

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

$26.8K NIO 980.3K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

4.95%

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

$154 NIO 5,651

$73.1 PEN 251

111.17%

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

$19.49 NIO 714

$16.35 PEN 56.2

19.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 NIO 1,196

$27.47 PEN 94.3

18.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 NIO 329

$7.05 PEN 24.23

27.52%

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

$232 NIO 8,481

$182 PEN 627

26.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,944 NIO 217.7K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

-54.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NIO 2,189

$53.8 PEN 185

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 NIO 2,364

$34.32 PEN 118

88.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NIO 4,553

$82.8 PEN 284

50.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NIO 5,367

$78.2 PEN 269

87.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

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 %)

11.92

8.94

33.33%

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

Last update for Masaya: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masaya

$259 31.5%

Lima

$226 22.3% 12.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masaya

$206 25.1%

Lima

$117 11.6% 43.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Masaya

$178 21.6%

Lima

$112 11.1% 36.9% $66

Eating Out

Masaya

$153 18.5%

Lima

$124 12.3% 18.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Masaya

$18 * 2.2%

Lima

$46 4.6% 156% $28

Getting Around

Masaya

$9.8 * 1.2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 346% $34

Accommodation & Living

Masaya

- * 0%

Lima

$343 33.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Masaya vs $35.00 in Lima. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $226, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇮 Masaya

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

1 h ahead of Masaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,835

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.18 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 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).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Masaya Lima 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Masaya
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

Masaya vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masaya and Lima differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($824 vs $1,012 including rent). Masaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,236 in Masaya 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.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $824 per month in Masaya versus $1,012 in Lima – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $824 in Masaya versus $1,012 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masaya but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Masaya 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 Masaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.