Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Peru

Name: Peru
Address: PE

For one person, living is cheaper in Peru: $878 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Peru
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Peru Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇵🇪 Peru

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Peru

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Peru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $878 in Peru, rent included.

United States $2,734
Peru $878

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,380 in Peru, rent included.

United States $3,985
Peru $1,380

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $1,883 in Peru, rent included.

United States $5,235
Peru $1,883

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Peru ($20–$1,108), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 212% higher than in Peru on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Peru is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$3.51 PEN 12.16

470.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$27.65 PEN 95.8

189.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.21 PEN 21.51

90.02%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.15 PEN 10.92

76.19%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.96 PEN 3.31

177.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.51 PEN 1.78

325.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.28 PEN 7.90

168.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.56 PEN 12.33

123.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.47 PEN 5.09

-29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.30 PEN 7.97

56.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.38 PEN 4.77

227.54%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.63 PEN 9.12

62.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$8.28 PEN 28.71

59.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.71 PEN 19.79

120.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$9.04 PEN 31.34

94.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.77 PEN 6.15

199.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.09 PEN 3.78

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.31 PEN 4.53

238.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.21 PEN 4.21

294.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.89 PEN 3.08

233.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.86 PEN 2.97

266.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.77 PEN 2.67

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.84 PEN 2.92

179.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$5.63 PEN 19.50

95.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.65 PEN 26.53

96.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.99 PEN 6.91

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.02 PEN 10.48

25.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.61 PEN 2.10

218.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$27.39 PEN 94.9

116.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.34 PEN 8.10

52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.05 PEN 7.11

-8.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$7.01 PEN 24.30

325.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.64 PEN 5.69

-37.80%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$22.1K PEN 76.7K

29.99%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.6K PEN 95.8K

-5.21%

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

$218 $218

$54.9 PEN 190

297.01%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$13.37 PEN 46.33

367.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$25.55 PEN 88.6

191.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$31.24 PEN 108

33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$16.62 PEN 57.6

37.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$5.93 PEN 20.56

147.89%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$207 PEN 719

618.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$11.2K PEN 38.7K

125.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.87 PEN 173

8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$30.02 PEN 104

42.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$72.2 PEN 250

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$71.1 PEN 246

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$514 PEN 1,782

222.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$279 PEN 967

382.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$899 PEN 3,118

198.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$536 PEN 1,856

304.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$2,247 PEN 7,787

46.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,310 PEN 4,542

89.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$575 PEN 1,993

647.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.66

-32.19%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Peru: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Peru

$279 31.8% 79.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Peru

$210 23.9% 49.5% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Peru

$94 10.7% 73.6% $261

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Peru

$109 12.4% 66.8% $219

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Peru

$100 11.4% 26.8% $37

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Peru

$42 4.8% 47.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Peru

$43 4.9% 39.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $339 in Peru. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $734 in Lima.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $522 in Peru. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 378% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 178% more in the United States.

Public transport is 152% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 8.7 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇪 Peru

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

1 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

33,726,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Peru 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Peru

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

United States vs Peru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Peru is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $339 in Peru.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Peru – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

Peru is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.