Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $999 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,561 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,358 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,124 in Lima.

Living in Sao Caetano do Sul costs roughly 8% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Caetano do Sul 31% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 R$37.04

$4.06 PEN 13.77

78.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.08 R$164

$33.99 PEN 115

-5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$35.33

$6.74 PEN 22.86

2.52%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$9.12

$2.52 PEN 8.56

-29.37%

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

$1.24 R$6.34

$0.94 PEN 3.18

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.01

$0.65 PEN 2.21

21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 R$9.36

$2.17 PEN 7.35

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$14.07

$3.95 PEN 13.39

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.21

$1.41 PEN 4.78

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.40

$2.72 PEN 9.22

-32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.65

$1.37 PEN 4.64

-5.11%

Eggs

$2.40 R$12.25

$2.94 PEN 9.98

-18.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 R$51.3

$7.92 PEN 26.87

26.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$21.41

$5.76 PEN 19.54

-27.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 R$42.82

$10.71 PEN 36.32

-21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R$11.04

$1.98 PEN 6.72

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.13

$1.08 PEN 3.66

47.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.23

$1.10 PEN 3.72

29.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.95

$1.19 PEN 4.05

47.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.42

$1.04 PEN 3.51

39.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.43

$1.00 PEN 3.38

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R$5.16

$0.87 PEN 2.94

16.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.50

$0.86 PEN 2.93

-19.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 R$11.56

$5.59 PEN 18.96

-59.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 R$40.11

$8.99 PEN 30.51

-12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.79

$1.77 PEN 5.99

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$3.07 PEN 10.42

-21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R$4.67

$0.68 PEN 2.29

33.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 R$195

$31.68 PEN 107

20.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$5.94

$3.37 PEN 11.43

-65.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 R$3.16

$2.22 PEN 7.54

-72.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 R$40.02

$8.26 PEN 28.00

-5.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.36

$1.35 PEN 4.58

-22.22%

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

$21.9K R$111.8K

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

12.72%

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

$28.8K R$147.3K

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

18.81%

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

$54.1 R$277

$56.4 PEN 191

-4.11%

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

$13.12 R$67.0

$12.57 PEN 42.63

4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.63 R$116

$23.66 PEN 80.3

-4.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.80 R$244

$31.04 PEN 105

53.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.60 R$238

$18.69 PEN 63.4

149.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 R$36.75

$6.83 PEN 23.17

5.27%

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

$333 R$1,699

$219 PEN 743

51.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,648 R$44.2K

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

6.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R$262

$49.58 PEN 168

3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 R$214

$35.59 PEN 121

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 R$397

$89.3 PEN 303

-12.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 R$387

$88.9 PEN 302

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,633

$623 PEN 2,115

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 R$1,409

$344 PEN 1,167

-19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 R$3,262

$1,027 PEN 3,484

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 R$4,682

$618 PEN 2,098

48.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,631 R$8,338

$2,315 PEN 7,852

-29.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,128 R$5,766

$1,395 PEN 4,734

-19.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 R$4,721

$625 PEN 2,120

47.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

10.11

10.48%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $623 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $222 per month, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper across the board.

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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul and Lima differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($922 vs $999 including rent). Sao Caetano do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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: $320 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $623 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $333 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $219 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $922 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $999 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul 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.

Expats usually find Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.