For one person, living is cheaper in Piura: $701 a month against $1,045 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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 Piura and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $701 in Piura versus $1,045 in Lima.
Piura $701
Lima $1,045
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,199 in Piura versus $1,668 in Lima.
Piura $1,199
Lima $1,668
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,696 in Piura versus $2,292 in Lima.
Piura $1,696
Lima $2,292
🌍
Living in Piura costs roughly 33% less than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Piura48% lower, Lima23% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Piura
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.60PEN 12.42
$4.25PEN 14.66
-15.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.96PEN 82.6
$35.07PEN 121
-31.68%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.27PEN 25.06
$7.04PEN 24.27
3.27%
Cappuccino
$3.30PEN 11.38
$3.30PEN 11.39
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05PEN 3.62
$1.11PEN 3.83
-5.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76PEN 2.62
$0.62PEN 2.13
22.58%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.35PEN 8.11
$2.64PEN 9.11
-10.98%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92PEN 10.08
$4.41PEN 15.22
-33.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Piura
Lima
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.41PEN 4.87
$1.62PEN 5.60
-12.96%
White Bread(500g)
$2.55PEN 8.80
$2.59PEN 8.94
-1.54%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.58PEN 5.46
$1.32PEN 4.55
19.70%
Eggs
$2.80PEN 9.66
$2.95PEN 10.16
-5.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.37PEN 35.75
$9.59PEN 33.08
8.13%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.31PEN 28.67
$5.70PEN 19.67
45.79%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.39PEN 35.83
$9.95PEN 34.32
4.42%
Apples(1kg)
$1.41PEN 4.87
$1.94PEN 6.70
-27.32%
Banana(1kg)
$1.33PEN 4.58
$1.03PEN 3.55
29.13%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.48PEN 5.10
$1.44PEN 4.95
2.78%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.35PEN 4.64
$1.53PEN 5.27
-11.76%
Potato(1kg)
$1.23PEN 4.25
$0.90PEN 3.10
36.67%
Onion(1kg)
$0.72PEN 2.47
$0.89PEN 3.08
-19.10%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.89PEN 3.08
$0.87PEN 3.01
2.30%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33PEN 4.58
$0.88PEN 3.03
51.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.92PEN 27.29
$5.64PEN 19.46
40.43%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.13PEN 38.37
$9.56PEN 32.97
16.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81PEN 6.24
$1.92PEN 6.63
-5.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82PEN 9.74
$3.16PEN 10.88
-10.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Piura
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.66PEN 2.28
$0.72PEN 2.48
-8.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$20.22PEN 69.7
$32.28PEN 111
-37.36%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.96PEN 10.20
$3.56PEN 12.28
-16.85%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.31PEN 7.95
$1.99PEN 6.87
16.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.21PEN 24.86
$7.83PEN 26.99
-7.92%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.42PEN 4.91
$1.65PEN 5.68
-13.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0KPEN 76.0K
$21.7KPEN 74.9K
1.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4KPEN 80.5K
$28.3KPEN 97.4K
-17.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piura
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$40.54PEN 140
$67.7PEN 233
-40.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.57PEN 29.54
$15.71PEN 54.2
-45.45%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$26.76PEN 92.3
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Piura
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$28.76PEN 99.2
$32.50PEN 112
-11.51%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.68PEN 67.9
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.33PEN 8.04
$7.39PEN 25.47
-68.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Piura
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$199PEN 686
$309PEN 1,065
-35.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,280PEN 7,862
$13.0KPEN 44.9K
-82.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Piura
Lima
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.70PEN 147
$53.9PEN 186
-20.76%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$12.94PEN 44.61
$35.93PEN 124
-63.99%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$58.2PEN 201
$81.5PEN 281
-28.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9PEN 255
$79.5PEN 274
-7.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Piura
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$229PEN 790
$734PEN 2,531
-68.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$131PEN 453
$373PEN 1,287
-64.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$397PEN 1,367
$1,287PEN 4,436
-69.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$400PEN 1,378
$764PEN 2,633
-47.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,803PEN 13.1K
$2,434PEN 8,392
56.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,359PEN 4,684
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Piura
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$538PEN 1,856
$666PEN 2,295
-19.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
0
8.78
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Piura: October 25, 2026
Last update for Lima: October 27, 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
Piura
$250 35.7%
Lima
$229 21.9% ↓ 8.4%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Piura
$131 18.7%
Lima
$373 35.7% ↑ 184%$242
🍽Eating Out
Piura
$115 16.4%
Lima
$124 11.8% ↑ 7.5%$8.7
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Piura
$84 12.1%
Lima
$113 10.8% ↑ 33.6%$28
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piura
$49 * 7%
Lima
$110 10.5% ↑ 124%$61
🚌Getting Around
Piura
$37 5.3%
Lima
$49 4.7% ↑ 30.3%$11
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Piura
$33 4.8%
Lima
$47 4.5% ↑ 41.5%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Piura
$567 33.4%
Lima
$523 22.8% ↓ 7.8%$44
🏠Accommodation & Living
Piura
$400 23.6%
Lima
$764 33.3% ↑ 91.1%$364
🍽Eating Out
Piura
$342 20.1%
Lima
$416 18.1% ↑ 21.7%$74
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Piura
$188 11.1%
Lima
$251 11% ↑ 33.6%$63
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piura
$58 * 3.4%
Lima
$126 5.5% ↑ 118%$68
🚌Getting Around
Piura
$76 4.5%
Lima
$99 4.3% ↑ 29.9%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Piura
$67 * 3.9%
Lima
$114 5% ↑ 70.9%$47
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 $229 in Piura and $734 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 24% 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: $24 in Piura vs $35 in Lima. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $229, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.
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
Piura vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Piura and in Lima?
Piura and Lima differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($701 vs $1,045 including rent). Piura 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 Piura. 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 Piura and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $229 in Piura versus $734 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 Piura and Lima?
Childcare runs $199 in Piura versus $309 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?
Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $1,200 go in Piura compared to Lima?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piura gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Piura 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.
How do I decide between Piura and Lima?
It comes down to priorities – Piura wins on affordability, Lima on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.