Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $903 in Trujillo versus $1,016 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Trujillo versus $1,623 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,811 in Trujillo versus $2,229 in Lima.

Living in Trujillo costs roughly 11% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Trujillo 34% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 PEN 12.21

$4.35 PEN 14.59

-16.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 PEN 80.5

$32.17 PEN 108

-25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 PEN 24.51

$7.03 PEN 23.58

3.98%

Cappuccino

$3.32 PEN 11.15

$3.23 PEN 10.84

2.79%

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

$0.97 PEN 3.26

$1.13 PEN 3.79

-14.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.05

$0.62 PEN 2.08

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 PEN 6.83

$2.68 PEN 8.99

-23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PEN 11.93

$4.53 PEN 15.19

-21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.74

$1.64 PEN 5.50

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 PEN 7.12

$2.60 PEN 8.72

-18.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.08

$1.34 PEN 4.50

-8.96%

Eggs

$4.22 PEN 14.16

$3.05 PEN 10.24

38.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 PEN 26.10

$9.01 PEN 30.22

-13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 PEN 22.97

$5.93 PEN 19.87

15.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 PEN 30.70

$9.80 PEN 32.87

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$2.10 PEN 7.03

-21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.92

$1.05 PEN 3.53

-45.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.93

$1.45 PEN 4.87

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.89

$1.50 PEN 5.03

-42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.14

$0.93 PEN 3.10

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.94

$0.94 PEN 3.16

25.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 PEN 4.21

$0.89 PEN 3.00

40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 PEN 3.75

$0.95 PEN 3.19

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 PEN 15.10

$5.82 PEN 19.50

-22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 PEN 19.98

$9.02 PEN 30.26

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.87

$1.94 PEN 6.50

-9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 PEN 5.34

$3.23 PEN 10.82

-50.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.05

$0.69 PEN 2.30

-11.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.04 PEN 60.5

$27.19 PEN 91.2

-33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 PEN 8.72

$3.90 PEN 13.07

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 PEN 7.39

$2.03 PEN 6.81

8.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 PEN 19.62

$7.45 PEN 24.97

-21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 PEN 5.60

$1.71 PEN 5.75

-2.34%

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

$18.0K PEN 60.3K

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

-18.99%

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

$28.6K PEN 95.8K

$26.7K PEN 89.6K

6.85%

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

$100 PEN 336

$71.1 PEN 238

40.89%

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

$13.55 PEN 45.44

$16.93 PEN 56.8

-19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 PEN 92.2

$28.29 PEN 94.9

-2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 PEN 138

$33.80 PEN 113

21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 PEN 19.75

$19.96 PEN 66.9

-70.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PEN 14.84

$7.23 PEN 24.23

-38.73%

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

$109 PEN 367

$181 PEN 606

-39.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,172 PEN 7,283

$13.4K PEN 45.1K

-83.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 PEN 246

$54.0 PEN 181

35.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.14 PEN 50.8

$35.57 PEN 119

-57.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.31 PEN 159

$85.9 PEN 288

-44.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.86 PEN 150

$81.0 PEN 272

-44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 PEN 1,341

$759 PEN 2,543

-47.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 PEN 862

$346 PEN 1,162

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 PEN 2,574

$1,254 PEN 4,205

-38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 PEN 1,752

$646 PEN 2,165

-19.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,183 PEN 3,967

$2,479 PEN 8,312

-52.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 PEN 1,796

$669 PEN 2,242

-19.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

8.94

30.87%

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

Last update for Trujillo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Trujillo and $759 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 25% 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: $24.00 in Trujillo vs $32.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $230 per month, with Trujillo 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

Trujillo vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trujillo and Lima differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($903 vs $1,016 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $400 in Trujillo versus $759 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Trujillo versus $181 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 $903 in Trujillo versus $1,016 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo 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 Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.