Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,236 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surrey
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,236
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,236 in Surrey versus $996 in Lima.

  • Surrey $2,236
  • Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Surrey versus $1,594 in Lima.

  • Surrey $3,522
  • Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Surrey versus $2,191 in Lima.

  • Surrey $4,808
  • Lima $2,191

Living in Surrey is roughly 124% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surrey is 67% above, Lima is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.87 CA$25.42
$4.42 PEN 15.21
304.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.2 CA$78.5
$35.04 PEN 121
57.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 CA$14.59
$6.84 PEN 23.52
50.00%
Cappuccino
$3.63 CA$5.17
$3.27 PEN 11.26
11.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$3.00
$1.10 PEN 3.80
91.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.23
$0.65 PEN 2.23
141.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.65 CA$8.03
$2.58 PEN 8.88
118.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 CA$8.46
$4.47 PEN 15.39
33.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.40 CA$3.41
$1.59 PEN 5.48
50.94%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.90
$2.58 PEN 8.89
-20.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.57 CA$5.08
$1.36 PEN 4.67
162.50%
Eggs
$3.23 CA$4.60
$2.95 PEN 10.14
9.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 CA$13.70
$9.10 PEN 31.30
5.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.29 CA$14.63
$5.81 PEN 19.98
77.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.56 CA$27.83
$9.83 PEN 33.80
98.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$2.01 PEN 6.92
56.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 CA$1.86
$1.08 PEN 3.70
21.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$1.37 PEN 4.71
114.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.95 CA$4.19
$1.48 PEN 5.08
99.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 CA$3.61
$0.96 PEN 3.32
164.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 CA$2.91
$0.85 PEN 2.93
141.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.98 CA$2.81
$0.88 PEN 3.03
125.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 CA$2.55
$0.87 PEN 2.98
106.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.93 CA$19.82
$5.90 PEN 20.31
136.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.12 CA$20.08
$8.81 PEN 30.31
60.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 CA$3.50
$1.92 PEN 6.59
28.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 CA$4.34
$3.20 PEN 11.02
-4.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 CA$3.80
$0.68 PEN 2.33
292.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 CA$150
$26.74 PEN 92.0
294.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.57 CA$3.65
$3.81 PEN 13.10
-32.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 CA$2.12
$2.04 PEN 7.02
-26.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.20 CA$38.69
$7.14 PEN 24.57
280.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 CA$1.86
$1.65 PEN 5.67
-20.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K CA$39.5K
$22.2K PEN 76.3K
25.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.5K CA$26.3K
$25.7K PEN 88.3K
-28.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 CA$263
$73.0 PEN 251
152.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.28 CA$51.6
$16.26 PEN 55.9
123.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 CA$89.9
$27.60 PEN 94.9
128.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.52 CA$49.10
$33.07 PEN 114
4.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.21 CA$35.85
$19.49 PEN 67.1
29.35%
Cinema Ticket
$12.70 CA$18.06
$7.39 PEN 25.41
71.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$832 CA$1,183
$182 PEN 626
357.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K CA$16.9K
$13.3K PEN 45.8K
-10.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 CA$78.5
$52.6 PEN 181
5.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.3 CA$85.7
$34.23 PEN 118
76.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 CA$137
$83.8 PEN 288
15.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.2 CA$125
$79.0 PEN 272
11.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 CA$1,887
$723 PEN 2,488
83.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,050 CA$1,494
$340 PEN 1,170
208.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,676 CA$3,807
$1,184 PEN 4,074
125.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 CA$2,965
$635 PEN 2,183
228.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,553 CA$13.6K
$2,449 PEN 8,423
290.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,388 CA$11.9K
$1,372 PEN 4,718
511.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,988 CA$4,251
$653 PEN 2,245
357.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
8.94
-45.53%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Surrey
$1.1K
Lima
$340 67.6% $710
Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$348
Lima
$226 35.1% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$284
Lima
$117 58.9% $167
Eating Out
Surrey
$272
Lima
$124 54.4% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$135
Lima
$112 16.8% $23
Getting Around
Surrey
$126
Lima
$43 65.6% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$60
Lima
$48 20.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Surrey and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 358% 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: $55.0 in Surrey vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Surrey
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
19:23 7:23 PM
21:23 9:23 PM
2 h ahead of Surrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
517,887
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surrey Lima 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surrey
  • 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
Surrey vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Surrey and in Lima?
Surrey and Lima differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,236 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Surrey or Lima?
Average pay runs 358% higher in Surrey, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Surrey and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,327 in Surrey versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Surrey and Lima?
Childcare runs $832 in Surrey versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $996 in Lima versus $2,236 in Surrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Surrey. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Surrey and Lima?
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.
Where should expats move: Surrey or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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