Lima vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

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Livingcost

Lima San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$932
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2292
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$426
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$762
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$259
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$169
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$410
$877
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
77
60
😀 Quality of life
64
67
🏙️ Population
9.94M
342K

The cost of living in Lima is 20% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 5780th and 4518th ($932 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 3rd in Peru and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Peru vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.4 months in Lima compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Lima ranked 1st best city to live in Peru vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 4655th and 4043rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Lima vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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Prices in Lima vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Lima and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Lima San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.3
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$26.4
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.43
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.3
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$3.22
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.82
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$492
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$327
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$916
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$614
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$39.7
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$61.1
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$26.4
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.08%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1582
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1234
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.53
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$30
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.7
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.42
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.31
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.72
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.58
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.7
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.03
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.56
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.61
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.99
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.03
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.5
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.27
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.54
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.56
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.05
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.02
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.92
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.66
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.77
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$30.8
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.89
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$28.1
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.73
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$41.6
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$77.2
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$216
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7186
$9894

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Lima

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Callao
$778
64 km or 40 mi Huaral
$694
122 km or 76 mi Huacho
$658
198 km or 123 mi Huancayo
$534
205 km or 128 mi Pisco
$593
251 km or 156 mi Huanuco
$538
265 km or 165 mi Ica
$626
285 km or 177 mi Huaraz
$522
329 km or 204 mi Ayacucho
$491
372 km or 231 mi Chimbote
$491
483 km or 300 mi Abancay
$583
489 km or 304 mi Trujillo
$611
490 km or 304 mi Pucallpa
$519
567 km or 352 mi Cajamarca
$476
572 km or 355 mi Cusco
$674
623 km or 387 mi Tarapoto
$525
655 km or 407 mi Chachapoyas
$499
663 km or 412 mi Chiclayo
$506
685 km or 426 mi Cruzeiro do Sul
$634
732 km or 455 mi Jaen
$504
765 km or 475 mi Arequipa
$562
838 km or 521 mi Juliaca
$511
855 km or 531 mi Puerto Maldonado
$562
858 km or 533 mi Piura
$592
866 km or 538 mi Puno
$475
891 km or 554 mi Sullana
$543
896 km or 557 mi Paita
$551
927 km or 576 mi Loja
$637
952 km or 591 mi Talara
$532
987 km or 614 mi Mancora
$514
988 km or 614 mi Tacna
$390
1014 km or 630 mi Iquitos
$726
1014 km or 630 mi Arica
$702
1015 km or 631 mi Tumbes
$472
1029 km or 639 mi Machala
$603
1032 km or 642 mi Rio Branco
$761
1041 km or 647 mi Cuenca
$790
1073 km or 666 mi El Alto
$662
1077 km or 669 mi La Paz
$705
1138 km or 707 mi Milagro
$731

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892