Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,332 in Salto, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Salto
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,332
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,332 in Salto versus $996 in Lima.

  • Salto $1,332
  • Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,921 in Salto versus $1,594 in Lima.

  • Salto $1,921
  • Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,510 in Salto versus $2,191 in Lima.

  • Salto $2,510
  • Lima $2,191

Living in Salto is roughly 34% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salto 1% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salto
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.98 UYU 643
$4.42 PEN 15.16
261.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.19 UYU 1,495
$35.04 PEN 120
6.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.86 UYU 477
$6.84 PEN 23.44
73.39%
Cappuccino
$3.26 UYU 131
$3.27 PEN 11.22
-0.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 UYU 89.0
$1.10 PEN 3.78
100.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 UYU 63.1
$0.65 PEN 2.22
141.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.57 UYU 184
$2.58 PEN 8.85
77.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 UYU 124
$4.47 PEN 15.34
-31.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salto
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 UYU 56.2
$1.59 PEN 5.46
-11.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 UYU 85.1
$2.58 PEN 8.86
-17.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 UYU 60.3
$1.36 PEN 4.65
10.29%
Eggs
$5.34 UYU 215
$2.95 PEN 10.11
81.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 UYU 605
$9.10 PEN 31.19
65.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.73 UYU 351
$5.81 PEN 19.91
50.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.86 UYU 397
$9.83 PEN 33.68
0.31%
Apples (1kg)
$1.27 UYU 51.0
$2.01 PEN 6.89
-36.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.7
$1.08 PEN 3.69
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.24 UYU 49.93
$1.37 PEN 4.70
-9.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 UYU 74.8
$1.48 PEN 5.06
25.68%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 UYU 36.05
$0.96 PEN 3.30
-6.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 UYU 66.8
$0.85 PEN 2.92
95.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 UYU 35.78
$0.88 PEN 3.02
1.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 UYU 61.4
$0.87 PEN 2.97
75.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29 UYU 213
$5.90 PEN 20.24
-10.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.55 UYU 303
$8.81 PEN 30.21
-14.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 UYU 76.9
$1.92 PEN 6.57
-0.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 UYU 105
$3.20 PEN 10.98
-18.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Salto
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 UYU 23.98
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-11.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.75 UYU 1,196
$26.74 PEN 91.7
11.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.81 PEN 13.06
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.61 UYU 145
$2.04 PEN 7.00
76.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.14 PEN 24.49
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 UYU 78.3
$1.65 PEN 5.65
18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salto
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 UYU 8,032
$73.0 PEN 250
173.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.70 UYU 872
$16.26 PEN 55.7
33.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.62 UYU 1,191
$27.60 PEN 94.6
7.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salto
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.74 UYU 1,478
$33.07 PEN 113
11.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.46 UYU 501
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-36.07%
Cinema Ticket
$9.93 UYU 399
$7.39 PEN 25.33
34.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salto
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$182 PEN 624
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,463 UYU 179.4K
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
-66.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salto
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.5 UYU 3,437
$52.6 PEN 180
62.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 UYU 2,247
$34.23 PEN 117
63.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 UYU 4,576
$83.8 PEN 287
35.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.1 UYU 2,697
$79.0 PEN 271
-15.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salto
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$438 UYU 17.6K
$723 PEN 2,479
-39.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$300 UYU 12.1K
$340 PEN 1,166
-11.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$749 UYU 30.1K
$1,184 PEN 4,060
-36.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$417 UYU 16.8K
$635 PEN 2,176
-34.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,449 PEN 8,394
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,372 PEN 4,702
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salto
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$628 UYU 25.3K
$653 PEN 2,237
-3.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.94
-

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

Last update for Salto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Salto
$300
Lima
$340 13.3% $40
Groceries & Markets
Salto
$272
Lima
$226 16.8% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salto
$251
Lima
$117 53.4% $134
Eating Out
Salto
$247
Lima
$124 49.7% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Salto
$145
Lima
$112 22.6% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Salto
$57
Lima
$48 15.5% $8.8
Getting Around
Salto
$50 *
Lima
$43 13.4% $6.7

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 $438 in Salto and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Salto vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Salto
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
00:40 12:40 AM
22:40 10:40 PM
2 h behind Salto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
104,028
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Salto Lima 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Salto
  • 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
Salto vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Salto and in Lima?
Salto and Lima differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,332 vs $996 including rent). Lima 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 4% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Salto and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Salto versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Salto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Salto or Lima?
All in, you'll spend $1,332 per month in Salto versus $996 in Lima – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $996 in Lima versus $1,332 in Salto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Salto. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Salto 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.
Is Salto or Lima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Salto 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.
Where should expats move: Salto or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Salto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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