For one person, living is cheaper in Pisco: $660 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pisco and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $660 in Pisco versus $1,014 in Lima.
Pisco $660
Lima $1,014
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,023 in Pisco versus $1,613 in Lima.
Pisco $1,023
Lima $1,613
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,386 in Pisco versus $2,211 in Lima.
Pisco $1,386
Lima $2,211
🌍
Living in Pisco costs roughly 35% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Pisco51% lower, Lima25% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.25PEN 14.59
$4.42PEN 15.19
-3.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.07PEN 120
$34.56PEN 119
1.48%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.09PEN 24.37
$6.80PEN 23.37
4.26%
Cappuccino
$3.19PEN 10.95
$3.30PEN 11.34
-3.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07PEN 3.69
$1.06PEN 3.64
0.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65PEN 2.23
$0.66PEN 2.26
-1.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.63PEN 9.02
$2.54PEN 8.71
3.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43PEN 15.21
$4.24PEN 14.55
4.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.65PEN 5.66
$1.58PEN 5.43
4.43%
White Bread(500g)
$2.32PEN 7.96
$2.61PEN 8.97
-11.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.25PEN 4.30
$1.34PEN 4.60
-6.72%
Eggs
$1.30PEN 4.45
$2.93PEN 10.08
-55.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.55PEN 22.50
$9.45PEN 32.45
-30.69%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.85PEN 16.66
$5.75PEN 19.75
-15.65%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.35PEN 21.81
$9.69PEN 33.29
-34.47%
Apples(1kg)
$1.34PEN 4.61
$2.02PEN 6.95
-33.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.00PEN 3.42
$1.07PEN 3.66
-6.54%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.42PEN 4.86
$1.37PEN 4.70
3.65%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.56PEN 1.91
$1.47PEN 5.05
-61.90%
Potato(1kg)
$0.45PEN 1.55
$0.95PEN 3.25
-52.63%
Onion(1kg)
$0.90PEN 3.10
$0.91PEN 3.14
-1.10%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.90PEN 3.09
$0.90PEN 3.10
-
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86PEN 2.95
$0.89PEN 3.04
-3.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74PEN 19.71
$5.74PEN 19.71
-
Wine(Bottle)
$8.57PEN 29.43
$9.21PEN 31.64
-6.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95PEN 6.70
$1.84PEN 6.31
5.98%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42PEN 8.31
$3.11PEN 10.67
-22.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Pisco
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.89PEN 3.06
$0.72PEN 2.46
23.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$35.26PEN 121
$26.03PEN 89.4
35.46%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.90PEN 13.40
$3.54PEN 12.17
10.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.05PEN 7.04
$2.07PEN 7.12
-0.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.15PEN 24.56
$7.75PEN 26.62
-7.74%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.67PEN 5.72
$1.71PEN 5.86
-2.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7KPEN 74.7K
$21.6KPEN 74.1K
0.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1KPEN 89.5K
$28.6KPEN 98.2K
-8.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$42.69PEN 147
$68.2PEN 234
-37.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.08PEN 55.2
$15.73PEN 54.0
2.23%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.50PEN 39.51
$26.48PEN 90.9
-56.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$20.40PEN 70.1
$33.94PEN 117
-39.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.49PEN 29.15
$20.10PEN 69.0
-57.76%
Cinema Ticket
$7.29PEN 25.05
$7.22PEN 24.80
0.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$178PEN 611
$201PEN 689
-11.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.9KPEN 44.2K
$12.9KPEN 44.3K
-0.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8PEN 181
$53.7PEN 184
-1.66%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.11PEN 45.03
$35.88PEN 123
-63.46%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$46.22PEN 159
$83.8PEN 288
-44.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$34.60PEN 119
$78.8PEN 271
-56.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pisco
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$161PEN 553
$729PEN 2,505
-77.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$130PEN 448
$349PEN 1,197
-62.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,186PEN 4,073
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$147PEN 504
$696PEN 2,391
-78.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,788PEN 6,141
$2,360PEN 8,105
-24.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,352PEN 4,642
$1,356PEN 4,657
-0.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pisco
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$557PEN 1,911
$663PEN 2,278
-16.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.94
8.78
1.82%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Pisco: October 19, 2026
Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pisco
$183 27.7%
Lima
$227 22.4% ↑ 24.3%$45
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pisco
$130 19.8%
Lima
$349 34.4% ↑ 167%$218
🍽Eating Out
Pisco
$122 18.6%
Lima
$123 12.2% ↑ 0.8%$1
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisco
$70 10.7%
Lima
$110 10.9% ↑ 57.1%$40
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pisco
$66 10%
Lima
$113 11.2% ↑ 71.8%$47
🚌Getting Around
Pisco
$53 8%
Lima
$43 4.2% ↓ 19.2%$10
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pisco
$35 5.3%
Lima
$48 4.8% ↑ 38.3%$13
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pisco
$407 29.4%
Lima
$519 23.5% ↑ 27.4%$111
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pisco
$147 10.6%
Lima
$696 31.5% ↑ 375%$550
🍽Eating Out
Pisco
$413 29.8%
Lima
$413 18.7% ↑ 0.1%$0.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisco
$86 6.2%
Lima
$126 5.7% ↑ 46%$40
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pisco
$147 10.6%
Lima
$252 11.4% ↑ 71.8%$105
🚌Getting Around
Pisco
$108 7.8%
Lima
$87 3.9% ↓ 19.2%$21
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pisco
$78 5.7%
Lima
$117 5.3% ↑ 48.9%$38
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Pisco and $729 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 19% 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 Pisco vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $227 per month, with Pisco cheaper across the board.
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
Pisco vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Pisco and in Lima?
Pisco and Lima differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($660 vs $1,014 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Pisco and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $161 in Pisco versus $729 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Pisco and Lima?
Childcare runs $178 in Pisco versus $201 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $660 in Pisco versus $1,014 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Pisco and Lima?
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.
Where should expats move: Pisco or Lima?
Expats usually find Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.