Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Pisco versus $1,016 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,055 in Pisco versus $1,623 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,429 in Pisco versus $2,229 in Lima.

Living in Pisco costs roughly 33% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pisco 50% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 PEN 15.07

$4.35 PEN 14.59

3.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.63 PEN 109

$32.17 PEN 108

1.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 PEN 23.89

$7.03 PEN 23.58

1.42%

Cappuccino

$3.34 PEN 11.21

$3.23 PEN 10.84

3.41%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.77

$1.13 PEN 3.79

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.07

$0.62 PEN 2.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 PEN 9.21

$2.68 PEN 8.99

2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 PEN 15.31

$4.53 PEN 15.19

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 PEN 5.62

$1.64 PEN 5.50

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 PEN 7.81

$2.60 PEN 8.72

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.24

$1.34 PEN 4.50

-5.22%

Eggs

$1.37 PEN 4.60

$3.05 PEN 10.24

-55.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 PEN 21.75

$9.01 PEN 30.22

-27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PEN 16.55

$5.93 PEN 19.87

-16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 PEN 22.86

$9.80 PEN 32.87

-30.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.58

$2.10 PEN 7.03

-34.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 PEN 3.40

$1.05 PEN 3.53

-3.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 PEN 4.81

$1.45 PEN 4.87

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.92

$1.50 PEN 5.03

-62.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 PEN 1.45

$0.93 PEN 3.10

-53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.90

$0.94 PEN 3.16

-8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 PEN 2.83

$0.89 PEN 3.00

-4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.91

$0.95 PEN 3.19

-8.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 PEN 19.45

$5.82 PEN 19.50

-0.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.22 PEN 30.92

$9.02 PEN 30.26

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 PEN 6.36

$1.94 PEN 6.50

-2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 PEN 8.32

$3.23 PEN 10.82

-23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 PEN 3.13

$0.69 PEN 2.30

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.81 PEN 120

$27.19 PEN 91.2

31.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 PEN 13.34

$3.90 PEN 13.07

2.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 PEN 7.17

$2.03 PEN 6.81

5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 PEN 24.43

$7.45 PEN 24.97

-2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.76

$1.71 PEN 5.75

0.58%

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

$21.8K PEN 73.2K

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

-1.60%

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

$25.9K PEN 86.9K

$26.7K PEN 89.6K

-3.02%

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

$45.42 PEN 152

$71.1 PEN 238

-36.09%

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

$16.85 PEN 56.5

$16.93 PEN 56.8

-0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.93 PEN 40.00

$28.29 PEN 94.9

-57.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.56 PEN 68.9

$33.80 PEN 113

-39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.99 PEN 30.14

$19.96 PEN 66.9

-54.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 PEN 24.56

$7.23 PEN 24.23

1.24%

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

$181 PEN 605

$181 PEN 606

-0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K PEN 44.1K

$13.4K PEN 45.1K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 PEN 182

$54.0 PEN 181

0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.39 PEN 44.90

$35.57 PEN 119

-62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.04 PEN 158

$85.9 PEN 288

-45.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.00 PEN 121

$81.0 PEN 272

-55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PEN 551

$759 PEN 2,543

-78.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 PEN 444

$346 PEN 1,162

-61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,205

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 PEN 488

$646 PEN 2,165

-77.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,813 PEN 6,079

$2,479 PEN 8,312

-26.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

-0.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 PEN 1,957

$669 PEN 2,242

-12.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

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

Last update for Pisco: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $164 in Pisco and $759 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 15% 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: $33.00 in Pisco vs $32.00 in Lima. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $230, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

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

Pisco and Lima differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($682 vs $1,016 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $164 in Pisco versus $759 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Pisco versus $181 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Pisco versus $1,016 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.

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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.