Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Lima

For one person, living costs are similar in Sao Carlos and in Lima: $1,003 and $996 a month, rent and utilities included.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Sao Carlos versus $996 in Lima.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,742 in Sao Carlos versus $1,594 in Lima.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,480 in Sao Carlos versus $2,191 in Lima.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Lima $2,191

Living in Sao Carlos is roughly 1% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Carlos 25% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$4.42 PEN 15.16

16.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$35.04 PEN 120

16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$6.84 PEN 23.44

4.68%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$3.27 PEN 11.22

-36.09%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$1.10 PEN 3.78

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$0.65 PEN 2.22

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$2.58 PEN 8.85

-36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$4.47 PEN 15.34

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-13.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$2.58 PEN 8.86

-23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$1.36 PEN 4.65

37.50%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$2.95 PEN 10.11

-2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$9.10 PEN 31.19

38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$5.81 PEN 19.91

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$9.83 PEN 33.68

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$2.01 PEN 6.89

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$1.08 PEN 3.69

75.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$1.37 PEN 4.70

32.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$1.48 PEN 5.06

29.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$0.96 PEN 3.30

73.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$0.85 PEN 2.92

68.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$0.88 PEN 3.02

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$0.87 PEN 2.97

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-46.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$8.81 PEN 30.21

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$1.92 PEN 6.57

-23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$3.20 PEN 10.98

-7.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.68 PEN 2.33

48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$26.74 PEN 91.7

-11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$3.81 PEN 13.06

-60.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$2.04 PEN 7.00

-52.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$7.14 PEN 24.49

-49.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-26.06%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

-7.99%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

24.25%

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

$63.2 R$316

$73.0 PEN 250

-13.46%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$16.26 PEN 55.7

-14.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$27.60 PEN 94.6

-9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$33.07 PEN 113

3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$19.49 PEN 66.8

148.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$7.39 PEN 25.33

-26.66%

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

$297 R$1,481

$182 PEN 624

63.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

-77.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$52.6 PEN 180

60.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$34.23 PEN 117

184.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$83.8 PEN 287

65.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$79.0 PEN 271

107.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$723 PEN 2,479

-63.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$340 PEN 1,166

-31.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$1,184 PEN 4,060

-43.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$635 PEN 2,176

4.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$2,449 PEN 8,394

-65.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$1,372 PEN 4,702

-45.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$653 PEN 2,237

6.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

8.94

20.25%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Lima

$226 22.4% 7.1% $17

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Lima

$340 33.6% 44.9% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Lima

$112 11.1% 48.5% $106

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Lima

$124 12.3% 13% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Lima

$117 11.6% 14.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Lima

$48 4.7% 6.4% $2.9

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Lima

$43 4.3% 27.4% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Sao Carlos and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Carlos pays 6% 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: $41.00 in Sao Carlos vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

2 h behind Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Carlos Lima 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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

Sao Carlos vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Carlos and Lima differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Sao Carlos, 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: $268 in Sao Carlos versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Sao Carlos 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 8% higher in Sao Carlos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,003 in Sao Carlos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Sao Carlos. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Sao Carlos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.