Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Lima

For one person, living costs are similar in Puntarenas and in Lima: $1,027 and $1,012 a month, rent and utilities included.

50

Cost of Living Index in Puntarenas
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Puntarenas Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Puntarenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,027

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puntarenas and in Lima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Puntarenas versus $1,012 in Lima.

Puntarenas $1,027
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Puntarenas versus $1,589 in Lima.

Puntarenas $1,596
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Puntarenas versus $2,167 in Lima.

Puntarenas $2,165
Lima $2,167

Living in Puntarenas is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puntarenas 24% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.92 ₡3,554

$4.40 PEN 15.10

80.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.92 ₡17.9K

$35.17 PEN 121

13.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 ₡4,252

$6.89 PEN 23.65

37.59%

Cappuccino

$4.32 ₡1,939

$3.26 PEN 11.20

32.52%

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

$2.48 ₡1,112

$1.12 PEN 3.84

121.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₡849

$0.62 PEN 2.11

204.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 ₡1,492

$2.65 PEN 9.09

25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₡1,942

$4.41 PEN 15.15

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₡960

$1.63 PEN 5.61

31.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$2.56 PEN 8.78

24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₡900

$1.35 PEN 4.65

48.89%

Eggs

$2.95 ₡1,323

$2.90 PEN 9.96

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₡2,874

$8.85 PEN 30.38

-27.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 ₡3,524

$5.98 PEN 20.52

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 ₡5,758

$9.78 PEN 33.59

31.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,783

$2.05 PEN 7.02

94.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₡659

$1.06 PEN 3.66

38.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.35 PEN 4.64

65.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$1.50 PEN 5.15

58.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$0.88 PEN 3.03

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,038

$0.92 PEN 3.15

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₡431

$0.89 PEN 3.07

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,251

$0.90 PEN 3.10

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₡2,254

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 ₡3,809

$8.52 PEN 29.26

-0.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₡822

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-2.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₡1,025

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡463

$0.68 PEN 2.33

51.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₡988

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-42.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₡506

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-44.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,890

$7.11 PEN 24.41

21.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₡640

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-16.86%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

-0.26%

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

$18.4K ₡8.2M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

-28.02%

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

$55.5 ₡24.9K

$73.1 PEN 251

-24.07%

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

$28.85 ₡12.9K

$16.35 PEN 56.2

76.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.79 ₡18.3K

$27.47 PEN 94.3

48.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.44 ₡11.9K

$31.90 PEN 110

-17.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,489

$7.05 PEN 24.23

10.35%

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

$975 ₡437.1K

$182 PEN 627

434.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.16 ₡11.7K

$53.8 PEN 185

-51.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.39 ₡7,798

$34.32 PEN 118

-49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$82.8 PEN 284

57.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 ₡23.8K

$78.2 PEN 269

-32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₡161.2K

$721 PEN 2,476

-50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 ₡116.4K

$343 PEN 1,179

-24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 ₡243.0K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

-55.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ₡189.4K

$651 PEN 2,235

-35.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$985 ₡441.7K

$2,414 PEN 8,292

-59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$658 ₡295.3K

$1,357 PEN 4,660

-51.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 ₡392.0K

$648 PEN 2,226

34.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.94

-3.58%

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

Last update for Puntarenas: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puntarenas

$300 29.2%

Lima

$226 22.3% 24.6% $74

Accommodation & Living

Puntarenas

$260 25.3%

Lima

$343 33.9% 32.3% $84

Eating Out

Puntarenas

$187 18.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 33.5% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puntarenas

$125 12.2%

Lima

$117 11.6% 6.6% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Puntarenas

$102 10%

Lima

$112 11.1% 9.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Puntarenas

$42 4.1%

Lima

$46 4.6% 9.5% $4

Getting Around

Puntarenas

$12 * 1.2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 263% $31

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 $360 in Puntarenas and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puntarenas pays 35% 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: $40.00 in Puntarenas vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Puntarenas

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

1 h ahead of Puntarenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puntarenas Lima 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Puntarenas
Lima

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

Puntarenas vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puntarenas and Lima differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,027 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Puntarenas, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Puntarenas versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Puntarenas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,027 per month in Puntarenas versus $1,012 in Lima – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,027 in Puntarenas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Puntarenas. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Puntarenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.