Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $996 in Lima.

Vancouver $2,684
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $1,594 in Lima.

Vancouver $3,878
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $2,191 in Lima.

Vancouver $5,072
Lima $2,191

Living in Vancouver is roughly 169% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 100% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.61

$4.42 PEN 15.21

291.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.1

$35.04 PEN 121

96.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.02

$6.84 PEN 23.52

54.39%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.53

$3.27 PEN 11.26

18.96%

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

$2.05 CA$2.92

$1.10 PEN 3.80

86.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$0.65 PEN 2.23

149.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.89

$2.58 PEN 8.88

114.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.00

$4.47 PEN 15.39

41.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$1.59 PEN 5.48

45.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$2.58 PEN 8.89

-3.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.32

$1.36 PEN 4.67

226.47%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.79

$2.95 PEN 10.14

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.04

$9.10 PEN 31.30

23.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.09

$5.81 PEN 19.98

130.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.59

$9.83 PEN 33.80

104.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.77

$2.01 PEN 6.92

101.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.08 PEN 3.70

23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.56

$1.37 PEN 4.71

185.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.77

$1.48 PEN 5.08

173.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$0.96 PEN 3.32

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.11

$0.85 PEN 2.93

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.60

$0.88 PEN 3.03

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$0.87 PEN 2.98

86.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.15

$5.90 PEN 20.31

163.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$19.99

$8.81 PEN 30.31

59.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.82

$1.92 PEN 6.59

40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$3.20 PEN 11.02

-6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.47

$0.68 PEN 2.33

258.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$26.74 PEN 92.0

211.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.86

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-28.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.23

$2.04 PEN 7.02

-23.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.65

$7.14 PEN 24.57

339.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.65 PEN 5.67

-16.36%

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

$28.1K CA$39.9K

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

26.57%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

-22.80%

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

$81.2 CA$115

$73.0 PEN 251

11.12%

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

$37.45 CA$53.3

$16.26 PEN 55.9

130.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.1

$27.60 PEN 94.9

86.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$61.8

$33.07 PEN 114

31.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.82

$19.49 PEN 67.1

-35.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.84

$7.39 PEN 25.41

69.69%

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

$1,094 CA$1,557

$182 PEN 626

501.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

49.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.1

$52.6 PEN 181

8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.56

$34.23 PEN 118

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$83.8 PEN 288

10.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$79.0 PEN 272

19.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,483

$723 PEN 2,488

141.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,111

$340 PEN 1,170

336.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,264

$1,184 PEN 4,074

153.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,446

$635 PEN 2,183

281.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,449 PEN 8,423

226.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,184

$1,372 PEN 4,718

370.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,404

$653 PEN 2,245

482.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

8.94

-52.13%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Lima

$340 33.6% 77.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Lima

$226 22.4% 43.2% $172

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Lima

$124 12.3% 54.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Lima

$117 11.6% 31.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Lima

$112 11.1% 9.7% $12

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Lima

$43 4.3% 58.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Lima

$48 4.7% 30.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 482% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

23:53 11:53 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Lima 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Vancouver vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Lima differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 482% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver 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 76% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 169% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.