Lima at a glance
- Lima is the most expensive of Peru's 3 priced cities: $705 a month in essentials, 55% above Cusco at $456.
- The average net salary of $634 covers that 0.9×.
- 98.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at country level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Peru cities we track, so every row says whether Lima is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $705 | $490 | 1.44× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $350 | $239 | 1.46× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $758 | $358 | 2.12× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $117 | $105 | $12 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $119 | $99 | $20 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $92 | $73 | 1.26× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $27 | $12 | 2.25× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $634 | $634 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $657 | $423 | 1.55× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,268 | $731 | 1.73× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Lima, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.41 | $3.67 | $0.74 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $35.25 | $34.95 | $0.30 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.89 | $5.88 | $1.01 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.19 | $2.50 | 1.28× as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.94 | $2.35 | 1.25× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.41 | $4.41 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.09 | $0.83 | 1.31× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.62 | $0.39 | 1.59× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.59 | $1.32 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.53 | $2.29 | $0.24 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.36 | $1.36 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.97 | $2.97 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.36 | $6.37 | 1.31× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.91 | $4.55 | 1.30× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.96 | $1.96 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.04 | $1.04 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.37 | $1.03 | 1.33× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.91 | $0.91 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.86 | $0.86 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.92 | $0.78 | $0.14 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.64 | $0.29 | 2.21× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $26.82 | ||
| Taxi start | $3.53 | $2.06 | 1.71× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.06 | $2.06 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.67 | $1.55 | $0.12 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $67.11 | $29.38 | 2.28× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $25.26 | $25.26 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $15.59 | $14.69 | $0.90 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $32.61 | $32.61 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.61 | $6.61 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Lima has 98.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (country level). That is the highest of the 3 Peru cities we track. Peru's national figure is 98.3 — about even.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Lima ranks against every city we track
Lima sits ahead of 74% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 63% of 892. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 4% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Lima sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Donairesunovi, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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