Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,684 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,684

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in San Juan versus $1,012 in Lima.

San Juan $1,684
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,772 in San Juan versus $1,589 in Lima.

San Juan $2,772
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,861 in San Juan versus $2,167 in Lima.

San Juan $3,861
Lima $2,167

Living in San Juan 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: San Juan is 25% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,541

$4.40 PEN 15.10

180.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$35.17 PEN 121

74.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 ₡5,139

$6.89 PEN 23.65

66.33%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ₡1,982

$3.26 PEN 11.20

35.58%

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

$2.77 ₡1,240

$1.12 PEN 3.84

147.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡870

$0.62 PEN 2.11

212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,483

$2.65 PEN 9.09

24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡1,996

$4.41 PEN 15.15

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₡1,052

$1.63 PEN 5.61

43.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₡1,425

$2.56 PEN 8.78

24.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.35 PEN 4.65

85.93%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,551

$2.90 PEN 9.96

19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 ₡4,782

$8.85 PEN 30.38

20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 ₡4,633

$5.98 PEN 20.52

72.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 ₡6,233

$9.78 PEN 33.59

42.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,230

$2.05 PEN 7.02

142.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.06 PEN 3.66

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ₡2,079

$1.35 PEN 4.64

243.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,771

$1.50 PEN 5.15

163.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,731

$0.88 PEN 3.03

338.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,684

$0.92 PEN 3.15

307.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡479

$0.89 PEN 3.07

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,379

$0.90 PEN 3.10

242.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,691

$5.90 PEN 20.27

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 ₡8,844

$8.52 PEN 29.26

131.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,236

$1.88 PEN 6.45

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,654

$3.22 PEN 11.05

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$0.68 PEN 2.33

101.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₡1,079

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-36.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡693

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-23.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 ₡3,849

$7.11 PEN 24.41

20.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡695

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-9.88%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

-3.03%

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

$34.9K ₡15.6M

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

36.70%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$73.1 PEN 251

31.89%

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

$35.06 ₡15.7K

$16.35 PEN 56.2

114.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 ₡26.6K

$27.47 PEN 94.3

116.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.0K

$31.90 PEN 110

109.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ₡3,362

$7.05 PEN 24.23

6.38%

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

$1,001 ₡449.1K

$182 PEN 627

448.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

29.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ₡31.8K

$53.8 PEN 185

31.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.8K

$34.32 PEN 118

61.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡56.6K

$82.8 PEN 284

52.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.2K

$78.2 PEN 269

71.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₡321.3K

$721 PEN 2,476

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₡266.1K

$343 PEN 1,179

72.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,850 ₡829.6K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

51.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₡621.4K

$651 PEN 2,235

112.92%

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)

$648 PEN 2,226

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 Juan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$593 35.2%

Lima

$343 33.9% 42.1% $250

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$398 23.6%

Lima

$226 22.3% 43.2% $172

Eating Out

San Juan

$231 13.7%

Lima

$124 12.3% 46.2% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$191 11.3%

Lima

$117 11.6% 38.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$174 10.3%

Lima

$112 11.1% 35.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$82 4.9%

Lima

$46 4.6% 43.8% $36

Getting Around

San Juan

$16 * 0.9%

Lima

$43 4.3% 179% $28

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 $717 in San Juan and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Juan vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Juan

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h ahead of San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

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 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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Between locations

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

From you

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

San Juan and Lima differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,684 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 $2,526 in San Juan 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: $717 in San Juan versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in San Juan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,684 per month in San Juan 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 $1,684 in San Juan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Juan. 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 Juan 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 San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.