Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,678 in Quesada, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
Learn more

Quesada Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

Jump to prices

Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,678

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quesada 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 Quesada and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,678 in Quesada versus $1,012 in Lima.

Quesada $1,678
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,663 in Quesada versus $1,589 in Lima.

Quesada $2,663
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,648 in Quesada versus $2,167 in Lima.

Quesada $3,648
Lima $2,167

Living in Quesada is roughly 66% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quesada is 24% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 ₡5,499

$4.40 PEN 15.08

178.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$35.17 PEN 121

76.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 ₡5,128

$6.89 PEN 23.61

65.60%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₡2,013

$3.26 PEN 11.19

37.42%

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

$2.76 ₡1,242

$1.12 PEN 3.83

146.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡873

$0.62 PEN 2.11

212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,440

$2.65 PEN 9.08

20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$4.41 PEN 15.12

-45.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 ₡1,079

$1.63 PEN 5.60

47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,271

$2.56 PEN 8.76

10.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,136

$1.35 PEN 4.64

87.41%

Eggs

$2.57 ₡1,154

$2.90 PEN 9.94

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₡4,870

$8.85 PEN 30.33

22.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 ₡4,604

$5.98 PEN 20.49

71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 ₡6,330

$9.78 PEN 33.54

44.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,265

$2.05 PEN 7.01

145.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.06 PEN 3.65

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.35 PEN 4.63

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,768

$1.50 PEN 5.14

162.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$0.88 PEN 3.02

344.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 ₡1,600

$0.92 PEN 3.15

286.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.89 PEN 3.07

25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,437

$0.90 PEN 3.10

255.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 ₡2,700

$5.90 PEN 20.24

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 ₡6,873

$8.52 PEN 29.21

79.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₡1,273

$1.88 PEN 6.44

50.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₡1,636

$3.22 PEN 11.03

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡602

$0.68 PEN 2.33

97.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ₡700

$3.81 PEN 13.07

-59.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡699

$2.02 PEN 6.92

-22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,017

$7.11 PEN 24.37

25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡681

$1.72 PEN 5.90

-11.63%

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

$22.0K ₡9.9M

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

-1.21%

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

$35.5K ₡15.9M

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

39.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$73.1 PEN 251

31.72%

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

$29.69 ₡13.3K

$16.35 PEN 56.1

81.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$27.47 PEN 94.2

101.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₡32.4K

$31.90 PEN 109

125.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ₡7,253

$19.41 PEN 66.6

-16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ₡2,483

$7.05 PEN 24.19

-21.56%

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

$255 ₡114.8K

$182 PEN 626

39.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,187 ₡1.9M

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

-67.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ₡32.0K

$53.8 PEN 184

32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$34.32 PEN 118

60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡56.7K

$82.8 PEN 284

52.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.0K

$78.2 PEN 268

39.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 ₡362.7K

$721 PEN 2,472

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 ₡287.1K

$343 PEN 1,177

86.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 ₡845.6K

$1,219 PEN 4,179

54.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ₡567.5K

$651 PEN 2,231

94.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 ₡1.9M

$2,414 PEN 8,278

72.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 ₡965.8K

$1,357 PEN 4,653

58.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,222

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 Quesada: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesada

$639 38.1%

Lima

$343 33.9% 46.3% $296

Groceries & Markets

Quesada

$371 22.1%

Lima

$226 22.3% 39.2% $145

Eating Out

Quesada

$226 13.4%

Lima

$124 12.3% 45% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesada

$181 10.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 35.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Quesada

$163 9.7%

Lima

$112 11.1% 31.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Quesada

$83 5%

Lima

$46 4.6% 44.6% $37

Getting Around

Quesada

$15 * 0.9%

Lima

$43 4.3% 196% $29

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 $807 in Quesada and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Quesada vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Quesada

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

1 h ahead of Quesada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,000

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quesada Lima 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Quesada
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

Quesada vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quesada and Lima differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,678 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,517 in Quesada and $1,518 in Lima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $807 in Quesada versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Quesada. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,678 per month in Quesada versus $1,012 in Lima – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,678 in Quesada, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Quesada. 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.

Safety-wise, Quesada and Lima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Quesada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.