Cali vs Lima cost of living 2026

Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026

Cali is 31% cheaper than Lima

Living on $1,132 a month in Cali feels like about $1,835 in Lima — same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.

Cheaper on how many of 20 items?

Cali 16tie 1Lima 3

One day's budget in Lima ($103) lasts 1.3 days in Cali

Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis — see your real monthly difference · free

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Per day

$81.6 vs $103

Per month

$1,132 vs $1,835

Local meal

COL$ 17,000 vs S/ 20

$4.15 vs $5.41

Taxi 5 km

COL$ 14,000 vs S/ 12

$3.41 vs $3.24

At a glance

FoodCali 28% cheaper

Cafés & drinksCali 29% cheaper

TransportCali 7% cheaper

StayCali 37% cheaper

FunCali 29% cheaper

Where Lima is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (38%↓)
Where Cali is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (51%↓), Studio rent (month) (48%↓), Haircut (40%↓)

By category

FoodLima +41%

Cali

Lima

Cafés & drinksLima +30%

Cali

Lima

TransportLima +5%

Cali

Lima

StayLima +23%

Cali

Lima

FunLima +14%

Cali

Lima

Salary equivalence

Enter a monthly income in Cali to see what gives the same standard of living in Lima. Starts at the average Cali salary.

COL$

Travel difficulty

Cali

Lima

Overall

Hard3.4

Hard3.0

Rip-offs & haggling

Language

Getting around

Payments

Safety

Lima is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: language — Cali 4 vs Lima 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›

Item by item

Item	Cali	Lima	Cheaper
Local mealper person	COL$ 17,000$4.15	S/ 20$5.41	Cali −23%
Street food1 item	COL$ 7,000$1.71	S/ 9$2.43	Cali −30%
Restaurant dinnerper person	COL$ 45,000$11	S/ 59$15.9	Cali −31%
Coffeeone cup	COL$ 9,000$2.2	S/ 12$3.24	Cali −32%
Beerone bottle	COL$ 7,000$1.71	S/ 10$2.7	Cali −37%
Cocktail & wineone cup	COL$ 25,000$6.1	S/ 26$7.03	Cali −13%
Bottled water	COL$ 2,000$0.49	S/ 2.2$0.59	Cali −18%
Convenience store1 snack or drink	COL$ 3,500$0.85	S/ 3.5$0.95	Cali −10%
Taxi5 km in town	COL$ 14,000$3.41	S/ 12$3.24	Lima −5%
Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop	COL$ 7,100$1.73	S/ 8$2.16	Cali −20%
Transitone ride	COL$ 3,500$0.85	S/ 3.2$0.86	similar
Scooter rentalper day	COL$ 90,000$22	S/ 50$13.5	Lima −38%
Hotel night3-star	COL$ 180,000$43.9	S/ 200$54.1	Cali −19%
Studio rent (month)	COL$ 1,000,000$244	S/ 1,750$473	Cali −48%
Laundry	COL$ 7,000$1.71	S/ 8$2.16	Cali −21%
SIM card1 week data	COL$ 25,000$6.1	S/ 30$8.11	Cali −25%
Haircutcut	COL$ 20,000$4.88	S/ 30$8.11	Cali −40%
Massage1 hour	COL$ 80,000$19.5	S/ 90$24.3	Cali −20%
Half-day tourper person	COL$ 120,000$29.3	S/ 100$27	Lima −8%
Entry ticketTourist town	COL$ 20,000$4.88	S/ 37$10	Cali −51%

Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.

Compare on your own lifestyle in the appSet your rent, eating out, coffee and taxis — see your real monthly difference and live traveler prices. No sign-up.

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FAQ

Which is cheaper, Cali or Lima?

Cali is 31% cheaper than Lima. Daily budget $81.6 vs $103; a month $1,132 vs $1,835.

Which is easier to travel, Cali or Lima?

Lima is easier: Lima 3.0/5 vs Cali 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).

How do monthly costs compare between Cali and Lima?

With a short-term studio and living costs, Cali is about $1,132 and Lima about $1,835 per month.

Where do the numbers come from?

They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.

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