Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peru and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Peru: $878 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Peru
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Peru Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇪 Peru

$878

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Peru and in the United States

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

A single person spends $878 per month in Peru vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Peru $878
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $1,380 per month in Peru vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Peru $1,380
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $1,883 per month in Peru vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Peru $1,883
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Peru ($20–$1,108), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Peru is roughly 68% lower than in the United States on average.

Peru sits 36% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PEN 12.16

$20.03 $20.03

-82.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.65 PEN 95.8

$80.0 $80.0

-65.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 PEN 21.51

$11.80 $11.80

-47.37%

Cappuccino

$3.15 PEN 10.92

$5.55 $5.55

-43.24%

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

$0.96 PEN 3.31

$2.66 $2.66

-63.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 PEN 1.78

$2.17 $2.17

-76.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 PEN 7.90

$6.12 $6.12

-62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PEN 12.33

$7.94 $7.94

-55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 PEN 5.09

$1.04 $1.04

41.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 PEN 7.97

$3.59 $3.59

-35.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 PEN 4.77

$4.52 $4.52

-69.47%

Eggs

$2.63 PEN 9.12

$4.28 $4.28

-38.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 PEN 28.71

$13.22 $13.22

-37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.79

$12.60 $12.60

-54.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PEN 31.34

$17.60 $17.60

-48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 6.15

$5.30 $5.30

-66.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.78

$1.69 $1.69

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 PEN 4.53

$4.44 $4.44

-70.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 PEN 4.21

$4.77 $4.77

-74.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.08

$2.97 $2.97

-70.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$3.15 $3.15

-72.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 PEN 2.67

$2.20 $2.20

-65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 PEN 2.92

$2.35 $2.35

-64.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 PEN 19.50

$10.98 $10.98

-48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 PEN 26.53

$15.05 $15.05

-49.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 PEN 6.91

$2.06 $2.06

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 PEN 10.48

$3.79 $3.79

-20.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$1.94 $1.94

-68.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 PEN 94.9

$59.4 $59.4

-53.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 PEN 8.10

$3.58 $3.58

-34.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.11

$1.88 $1.88

9.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 PEN 24.30

$29.84 $29.84

-76.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.69

$1.02 $1.02

60.78%

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

$22.1K PEN 76.7K

$28.8K $28.8K

-23.07%

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

$27.6K PEN 95.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

5.49%

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

$54.9 PEN 190

$218 $218

-74.81%

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

$13.37 PEN 46.33

$62.5 $62.5

-78.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.55 PEN 88.6

$74.5 $74.5

-65.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 PEN 108

$41.86 $41.86

-25.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 PEN 57.6

$22.81 $22.81

-27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 PEN 20.56

$14.70 $14.70

-59.66%

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

$207 PEN 719

$1,489 $1,489

-86.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K PEN 38.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

-55.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.87 PEN 173

$54.3 $54.3

-8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 PEN 104

$42.71 $42.71

-29.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 PEN 250

$94.1 $94.1

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 PEN 246

$114 $114

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 PEN 1,782

$1,659 $1,659

-69.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 PEN 967

$1,348 $1,348

-79.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 PEN 3,118

$2,682 $2,682

-66.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 PEN 1,856

$2,169 $2,169

-75.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,247 PEN 7,787

$3,283 $3,283

-31.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,310 PEN 4,542

$2,482 $2,482

-47.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$575 PEN 1,993

$4,296 $4,296

-86.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.66

6.55

47.48%

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

Last update for Peru: October 27, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Peru

$279 31.8%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 383% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Peru

$210 23.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 97.9% $206

Eating Out

Peru

$109 12.4%

United States

$328 12% 201% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Peru

$100 11.4%

United States

$137 5% 36.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Peru

$94 10.7%

United States

$355 13% 278% $261

Sport & Entertainment

Peru

$43 4.9%

United States

$71 2.6% 65.4% $28

Getting Around

Peru

$42 4.8%

United States

$80 2.9% 88.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $339 in Peru vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $734 in Lima and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $522 in Peru vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 378% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 178% more in the United States.

Public transport is 152% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 8.7 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Peru

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Peru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,726,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Peru United States 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Peru
United States

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

Peru vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Peru is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $339 in Peru.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Peru – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

Peru is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.