Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,758 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,758

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,758 in Santa Cruz versus $1,012 in Lima.

Santa Cruz $1,758
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Santa Cruz versus $1,589 in Lima.

Santa Cruz $2,778
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,798 in Santa Cruz versus $2,167 in Lima.

Santa Cruz $3,798
Lima $2,167

Living in Santa Cruz is roughly 74% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 30% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,523

$4.40 PEN 15.08

179.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$35.17 PEN 121

77.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,856

$6.89 PEN 23.61

56.89%

Cappuccino

$4.58 ₡2,059

$3.26 PEN 11.19

40.49%

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

$2.20 ₡989

$1.12 PEN 3.83

96.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡854

$0.62 PEN 2.11

206.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,489

$2.65 PEN 9.08

24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,958

$4.41 PEN 15.12

-1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,070

$1.63 PEN 5.60

46.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,422

$2.56 PEN 8.76

23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₡1,113

$1.35 PEN 4.64

83.70%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,599

$2.90 PEN 9.94

22.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 ₡4,717

$8.85 PEN 30.33

18.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,722

$5.98 PEN 20.49

75.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 ₡6,359

$9.78 PEN 33.54

44.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,336

$2.05 PEN 7.01

153.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.06 PEN 3.65

0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 ₡2,170

$1.35 PEN 4.63

257.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,758

$1.50 PEN 5.14

160.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 ₡1,741

$0.88 PEN 3.02

339.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 ₡1,636

$0.92 PEN 3.15

295.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.89 PEN 3.07

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,383

$0.90 PEN 3.10

242.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,596

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 ₡9,068

$8.52 PEN 29.21

136.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,294

$1.88 PEN 6.44

53.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ₡1,654

$3.22 PEN 11.03

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡581

$0.68 PEN 2.33

89.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$3.81 PEN 13.07

-34.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.02 PEN 6.92

-22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₡3,864

$7.11 PEN 24.37

20.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.72 PEN 5.90

-9.30%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

-1.13%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

35.33%

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

$94.5 ₡42.4K

$73.1 PEN 251

29.29%

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

$35.98 ₡16.2K

$16.35 PEN 56.1

120.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$27.47 PEN 94.2

117.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 ₡32.2K

$31.90 PEN 109

124.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 ₡3,034

$7.05 PEN 24.19

-4.26%

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

$978 ₡439.3K

$182 PEN 626

435.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

31.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ₡32.4K

$53.8 PEN 184

34.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.2K

$34.32 PEN 118

63.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$82.8 PEN 284

55.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.1K

$78.2 PEN 268

68.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 ₡409.8K

$721 PEN 2,472

26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 ₡298.7K

$343 PEN 1,177

93.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 ₡759.1K

$1,219 PEN 4,179

38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 ₡588.5K

$651 PEN 2,231

101.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,278

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,653

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 Santa Cruz: 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

Santa Cruz

$665 37.8%

Lima

$343 33.9% 48.3% $321

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$400 22.8%

Lima

$226 22.3% 43.5% $174

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$227 12.9%

Lima

$124 12.3% 45.5% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$190 10.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 38.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$175 10%

Lima

$112 11.1% 36% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$85 4.9%

Lima

$46 4.6% 46% $39

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9%

Lima

$43 4.3% 181% $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 $912 in Santa Cruz and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Santa Cruz vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,665

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

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Between locations

Santa Cruz Lima 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz and Lima differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,758 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 $2,637 in Santa Cruz 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: $912 in Santa Cruz versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,758 per month in Santa Cruz versus $1,012 in Lima – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,758 in Santa Cruz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz. 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, Santa Cruz 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 74% less than in Santa Cruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.