Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,672 in San Francisco, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,672 in San Francisco versus $1,012 in Lima.

San Francisco $1,672
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,668 in San Francisco versus $1,589 in Lima.

San Francisco $2,668
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,664 in San Francisco versus $2,167 in Lima.

San Francisco $3,664
Lima $2,167

Living in San Francisco is roughly 65% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₡4,520

$4.40 PEN 15.10

129.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.7K

$35.17 PEN 121

75.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 ₡4,947

$6.89 PEN 23.65

60.09%

Cappuccino

$4.33 ₡1,941

$3.26 PEN 11.20

32.82%

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

$1.30 ₡582

$1.12 PEN 3.84

16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₡810

$0.62 PEN 2.11

191.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,504

$2.65 PEN 9.09

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,932

$4.41 PEN 15.15

-2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,039

$1.63 PEN 5.61

42.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,360

$2.56 PEN 8.78

18.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$1.35 PEN 4.65

80.74%

Eggs

$3.51 ₡1,575

$2.90 PEN 9.96

21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₡4,859

$8.85 PEN 30.38

22.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,677

$5.98 PEN 20.52

74.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,192

$9.78 PEN 33.59

41.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 ₡2,241

$2.05 PEN 7.02

143.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.06 PEN 3.66

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 ₡2,177

$1.35 PEN 4.64

259.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,777

$1.50 PEN 5.15

164.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,683

$0.88 PEN 3.03

326.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₡1,609

$0.92 PEN 3.15

290.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$0.89 PEN 3.07

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,435

$0.90 PEN 3.10

255.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 ₡2,601

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,119

$8.52 PEN 29.26

138.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,262

$1.88 PEN 6.45

49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,642

$3.22 PEN 11.05

13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡602

$0.68 PEN 2.33

97.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$26.86 PEN 92.2

142.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ₡800

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-53.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-19.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₡3,994

$7.11 PEN 24.41

25.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡667

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-13.37%

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

$22.0K ₡9.9M

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

-1.49%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

37.35%

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

$76.3 ₡34.2K

$73.1 PEN 251

4.42%

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

$33.48 ₡15.0K

$16.35 PEN 56.2

104.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.18 ₡21.6K

$27.47 PEN 94.3

75.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 ₡33.3K

$31.90 PEN 110

132.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.05 PEN 24.23

6.67%

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

$973 ₡436.4K

$182 PEN 627

433.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.5M

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

28.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$53.8 PEN 185

32.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.8K

$34.32 PEN 118

60.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 ₡29.9K

$82.8 PEN 284

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.8 ₡24.1K

$78.2 PEN 269

-31.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.4K

$721 PEN 2,476

12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₡282.0K

$343 PEN 1,179

83.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 ₡858.5K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 ₡568.0K

$651 PEN 2,235

94.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$892 ₡400.1K

$648 PEN 2,226

37.67%

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 San Francisco: 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

San Francisco

$629 37.6%

Lima

$343 33.9% 45.4% $285

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$401 24%

Lima

$226 22.3% 43.6% $175

Eating Out

San Francisco

$203 12.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 39.1% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$158 9.5%

Lima

$117 11.6% 26% $41

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$111 6.6%

Lima

$112 11.1% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$89 5.3%

Lima

$46 4.6% 48.4% $43

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.8%

Lima

$43 4.3% 46% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in San Francisco and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco pays 38% 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: $62.0 in San Francisco vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Francisco Lima 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco
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

San Francisco vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco and Lima differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,672 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 38% higher in San Francisco, 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: $808 in San Francisco versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $973 in San Francisco versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in San Francisco. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,672 in San Francisco, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Francisco. 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, San Francisco 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 65% less than in San Francisco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.