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

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Livingcost

Lima San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$977
$1324
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2440
$3344
🏠 One person rent
$407
$606
🏘️ Family rent
$726
$1094
🍽️ Food expenses
$278
$499
🚐 Transport expenses
$203
$78
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$498
$990
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
78
60
😀 Quality of life
65
66
🏙️ Population
9.94M
342K

The cost of living in Lima is 26% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 5647th and 4143rd ($977 vs $1324) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Peru and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Peru vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Lima compared to 0.7 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 4234th and 4085th 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
$4.73
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$29
$51.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.33
$9.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.45
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$3.29
$4.5
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.88
$1.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$525
$738
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$305
$444
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$943
$1315
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$577
$874
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.3
$53.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$52.6
$82.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$23.8
$49.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10%
10.31%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1476
$2883
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1418
$1718
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.68
$0.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$33.7
$41.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$20.6
$16.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.35
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.45
$2.07
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.9
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.94
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.94
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.74
$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.28
$8.97
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.7
$14.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.02
$3.92
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.08
$1.46
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.12
$3.91
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.17
$2.99
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$2.99
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1
$2.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.59
$1.85
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.24
$3.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.11
$18.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.64
$2.43
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.28
$5.13
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.54
$8.09
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.11
$7.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.08
$3.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.1
$3.77
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.1
$65
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.4
$9.08
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$32.9
$72.3
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.4
$15.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$47.9
$68.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$88.1
$125
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$201
$601
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7764
$12527

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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
$790
64 km or 40 mi Huaral
$727
122 km or 76 mi Huacho
$685
198 km or 123 mi Huancayo
$562
205 km or 128 mi Pisco
$614
251 km or 156 mi Huanuco
$622
265 km or 165 mi Ica
$656
285 km or 177 mi Huaraz
$561
329 km or 204 mi Ayacucho
$598
372 km or 231 mi Chimbote
$504
483 km or 300 mi Abancay
$591
489 km or 304 mi Trujillo
$714
490 km or 304 mi Pucallpa
$489
567 km or 352 mi Cajamarca
$549
572 km or 355 mi Cusco
$626
623 km or 387 mi Tarapoto
$562
655 km or 407 mi Chachapoyas
$549
663 km or 412 mi Chiclayo
$598
685 km or 426 mi Cruzeiro do Sul
$580
732 km or 455 mi Jaen
$548
765 km or 475 mi Arequipa
$588
838 km or 521 mi Juliaca
$547
855 km or 531 mi Puerto Maldonado
$560
858 km or 533 mi Piura
$565
866 km or 538 mi Puno
$520
891 km or 554 mi Sullana
$505
896 km or 557 mi Paita
$518
927 km or 576 mi Loja
$600
952 km or 591 mi Talara
$513
987 km or 614 mi Mancora
$505
988 km or 614 mi Tacna
$414
1014 km or 630 mi Iquitos
$694
1014 km or 630 mi Arica
$748
1015 km or 631 mi Tumbes
$463
1029 km or 639 mi Machala
$569
1032 km or 642 mi Rio Branco
$735
1041 km or 647 mi Cuenca
$758
1073 km or 666 mi El Alto
$673
1077 km or 669 mi La Paz
$688
1138 km or 707 mi Milagro
$697

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1296
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1269
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1024
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$801
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1225
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1213
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$932
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1710
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$839
246 km or 153 mi David
$890
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$666
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$701
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$710
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$738
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$624
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1089
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$455
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$632
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$598
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1116
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1117
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1172
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$957
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1328
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1479
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1310
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1304
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1088
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1083
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$753
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$755
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1204
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1182
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1175
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1160
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1194
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$903