Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $41,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,012 in Lima.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,581 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,589 in Lima.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,732 in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,167 in Lima.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Lima $2,167

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 338% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Monica, CA is 228% above, Lima is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$4.40 PEN 15.10

508.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$35.17 PEN 121

236.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$6.89 PEN 23.65

115.97%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$3.26 PEN 11.20

81.90%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$1.12 PEN 3.84

191.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.62 PEN 2.11

287.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$2.65 PEN 9.09

206.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.41 PEN 15.15

125.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-17.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.56 PEN 8.78

78.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.35 PEN 4.65

244.44%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$2.90 PEN 9.96

97.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$8.85 PEN 30.38

78.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$5.98 PEN 20.52

137.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$9.78 PEN 33.59

102.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.05 PEN 7.02

132.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.06 PEN 3.66

116.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.35 PEN 4.64

192.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.50 PEN 5.15

263.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$0.88 PEN 3.03

276.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$0.92 PEN 3.15

207.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.89 PEN 3.07

140.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.90 PEN 3.10

175.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$5.90 PEN 20.27

95.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$8.52 PEN 29.26

78.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.88 PEN 6.45

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.68 PEN 2.33

270.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$26.86 PEN 92.2

149.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-17.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-5.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$7.11 PEN 24.41

359.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-15.70%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

64.93%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

0.25%

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

$218 $218

$73.1 PEN 251

198.07%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$16.35 PEN 56.2

183.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$27.47 PEN 94.3

136.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$31.90 PEN 110

121.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$19.41 PEN 66.7

127.25%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$7.05 PEN 24.23

174.61%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$182 PEN 627

828.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

148.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$53.8 PEN 185

65.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$34.32 PEN 118

59.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$82.8 PEN 284

25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$78.2 PEN 269

55.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$721 PEN 2,476

361.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$343 PEN 1,179

732.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$1,219 PEN 4,186

376.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$651 PEN 2,235

675.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$2,414 PEN 8,292

349.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$1,357 PEN 4,660

483.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$648 PEN 2,226

964.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.94

-25.95%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Lima

$343 33.9% 88% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Lima

$226 22.3% 51.1% $236

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Lima

$124 12.3% 70% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Lima

$117 11.6% 64.5% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Lima

$112 11.1% 32.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Lima

$46 4.6% 57.9% $63

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 51.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 965% 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: $118 in Santa Monica, CA vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

PEN to USD in detail →

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Santa Monica, CA Lima 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Monica, CA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Monica, CA and Lima differ by about 338% in total monthly costs ($4,430 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 965% higher in Santa Monica, CA, 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: $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,694 in Santa Monica, CA 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 104% higher in Santa Monica, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Santa Monica, CA. 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 Monica, CA 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 338% less than in Santa Monica, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.