Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Piura versus $1,044 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,256 in Piura versus $1,614 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,778 in Piura versus $2,184 in Lima.

Living in Piura costs roughly 30% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piura 47% lower, Lima 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 PEN 12.31

$4.49 PEN 15.05

-18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 PEN 85.0

$32.85 PEN 110

-22.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 PEN 24.36

$6.95 PEN 23.31

4.60%

Cappuccino

$3.35 PEN 11.23

$3.38 PEN 11.35

-0.89%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.74

$1.13 PEN 3.79

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.41

$0.68 PEN 2.28

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 PEN 7.84

$2.73 PEN 9.14

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 PEN 10.06

$4.44 PEN 14.90

-32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 PEN 4.89

$1.68 PEN 5.64

-13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 PEN 8.85

$2.69 PEN 9.02

-1.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 PEN 5.43

$1.36 PEN 4.55

19.12%

Eggs

$2.87 PEN 9.61

$2.94 PEN 9.85

-2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 PEN 36.19

$9.24 PEN 30.98

16.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 PEN 29.69

$6.20 PEN 20.78

42.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 PEN 36.40

$9.99 PEN 33.48

8.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 PEN 4.78

$2.07 PEN 6.95

-30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.36

$1.05 PEN 3.53

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.07

$1.45 PEN 4.86

4.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.57

$1.51 PEN 5.05

-9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 PEN 4.29

$0.91 PEN 3.06

40.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 PEN 2.46

$0.89 PEN 2.97

-17.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 PEN 3.04

$0.89 PEN 3.00

2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PEN 4.59

$0.87 PEN 2.91

57.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 PEN 26.99

$5.99 PEN 20.07

34.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 PEN 38.13

$9.26 PEN 31.04

22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 PEN 6.41

$1.91 PEN 6.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 PEN 9.74

$3.37 PEN 11.31

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 PEN 2.34

$0.68 PEN 2.27

2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.26 PEN 71.3

$26.73 PEN 89.6

-20.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 PEN 10.58

$4.14 PEN 13.86

-23.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 PEN 7.91

$2.04 PEN 6.85

15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 PEN 25.42

$7.62 PEN 25.55

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 PEN 4.98

$1.66 PEN 5.55

-10.24%

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

$22.3K PEN 74.8K

$22.3K PEN 74.7K

0.11%

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

$23.9K PEN 80.2K

$26.5K PEN 88.7K

-9.67%

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

$42.21 PEN 142

$72.3 PEN 242

-41.63%

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

$8.82 PEN 29.55

$17.01 PEN 57.0

-48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 PEN 92.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.64 PEN 99.4

$33.77 PEN 113

-12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 PEN 65.7

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 PEN 8.25

$7.58 PEN 25.40

-67.55%

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

$200 PEN 670

$184 PEN 617

8.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,379 PEN 7,976

$13.4K PEN 44.9K

-82.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.11 PEN 148

$54.2 PEN 182

-18.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.58 PEN 45.52

$36.43 PEN 122

-62.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 PEN 203

$85.4 PEN 286

-28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 PEN 254

$81.7 PEN 274

-7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 790

$777 PEN 2,604

-69.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 PEN 444

$351 PEN 1,177

-62.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 PEN 1,364

$1,261 PEN 4,226

-67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 PEN 1,343

$671 PEN 2,251

-40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,896 PEN 13.1K

$2,454 PEN 8,225

58.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 PEN 4,707

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$554 PEN 1,856

$662 PEN 2,219

-16.36%

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 Piura: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $236 in Piura and $777 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 20% 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: $25.00 in Piura vs $33.00 in Lima. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $233, with Lima 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

Piura vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piura and Lima differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($735 vs $1,044 including rent). Piura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $236 in Piura versus $777 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Piura versus $184 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $735 in Piura versus $1,044 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piura but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Piura 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 Piura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.