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City comparison

Lima vs Cali

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Lima cheaper — −17%

  • Family budget

    in Cali cheaper — −6%

  • Internet

    in Cali cheaper — −40%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Lima≈ $734–1,270S/ 2,509–4,345
    cheaper by 17%
    Cali≈ $434–1,980COP 1,425k – 6.5M
  • Family groceries

    per month
    Lima≈ $359S/ 1,228
    Cali≈ $301COP 989,488
    cheaper by 16%
  • Family budget

    per month
    Lima≈ $665S/ 2,272
    Cali≈ $623COP 2,046,552
    cheaper by 6%
  • Internet

    per month
    Lima≈ $29–41S/ 99–139
    Cali≈ $19–23COP 60,900–75,900
    cheaper by 40%
  • Winter

    average
    Lima15–18 °C15–18 °C
    Cali19–29 °C19–29 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Lima13 mm13 mm
    Cali1,485 mm1,485 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Lima$151k – 260,500$151k – 260,500
    Cali≈ $131–243kCOP 430–800M
    cheaper by 9%

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Housing

Lima

Buying an apartment

Apartment price per m²: San Isidro 2605 dollars, Barranco 2556, Miraflores 2464, Surco 1818, La Molina 1510 (Q1 2026, central bank BCRP).

OfficialBCRP: apartment sale prices by district of Lima, dollars per m², Q1 2025 - Q1 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Rent by district

A 100 m² three-bedroom apartment: Barranco 4345 soles a month, San Isidro 4182, Miraflores 3864, Surco 3070, La Molina 2509 (July 2026).

SpecialistInfobae: Urbania Index, apartment rents by district of Lima, July 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Lima →

Cali

Three-bedroom rent by stratum

A three-bedroom by listings: in stratum 4 in the south the median is 1.4 million pesos a month (about 430 dollars, 65 m²), in stratum 6 it is 6.5 million (about 1,940 dollars, 210 m²).

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying an apartment

A resale three-bedroom by listings: from 155 million to 1.5 billion pesos, half within 430-800 million. New three-bedroom units sell from 220 million to 1.6 billion.

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Cali →

Money and prices

Lima

Groceries for a family

The INEI minimum food basket for Lima is 307 soles per person a month, about 1228 for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialINEI: Perú, evolución de la pobreza monetaria 2016-2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Family budget per month

A family of four in Lima counts as poor at spending below 2272 soles a month. The average Lima resident spends 1014 soles, about 4056 for four.

OfficialINEI: Perú, evolución de la pobreza monetaria 2016-2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about money and prices in Lima →

Cali

Groceries for a family

The DANE minimum food basket for Cali is 247,372 pesos per person a month, about 989 thousand (296 dollars) for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Family budget per month

A family of four in Cali counts as poor with income below 2.05 million pesos a month, about 610 dollars (2025). Average income is 1.58 million per person.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Cali →

Family and kids

Lima

Private schools

Well-known private schools in Lima for 2026: 1600–4426 soles a month plus an entrance fee. The American School Roosevelt: from 1747 dollars a month.

SpecialistInfobae: cost of private schools in Lima for 2026 based on the list by Padres magazine · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about family and kids in Lima →

Cali

Nothing yet

Healthcare

Lima

Healthcare: public insurance

With a foreigner's card (carné de extranjería), a family can take the public insurance SIS Independiente: 39 soles a month for one person, 115 for a family of four or more. There is also a free plan.

OfficialSIS: questions and rates of the SIS Independiente plan · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about healthcare in Lima →

Cali

The country's best hospital

Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali is Colombia's best hospital in the Newsweek ranking for the fifth year in a row; 126th in the world list of 2026 out of 2,530 assessed.

SpecialistConsultorSalud: which Colombian hospitals are in the World's Best Hospitals 2026 ranking · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Cali →

Transport

Lima

Jorge Chávez Airport

The new terminal opened on 30 May 2025: 30 million passengers in the first year, up to 40 million by 2026. The first flights were LATAM to Atlanta and Iberia from Madrid.

OfficialMTC: opening of the new terminal at Jorge Chávez airport · checked 29 Sep 2026

Getting around the city

The Metropolitano with a feeder route across the whole city is 3.50 soles; short trips on corridor buses are 1–1.50. The second metro line is free for now.

OfficialATU: how to save money on the Metropolitano and corridor buses · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Lima →

Cali

Bonilla Aragón Airport

In 2025 about 6.4 million passengers passed through Cali airport, 1.2 million of them international. Since September 2025 it has been run by the state agency Aerocivil.

OfficialAerocivil, open data: commercial air traffic by origin-destination, 2020-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Cali →

Climate

Lima

Winter

The coldest month is August: average minimum 14.6 degrees, maximum 18.4. July and September are almost the same; in February it is 19.4 and 26.5.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

There is almost no rain: about 13 mm a year, and no month above 5.4 mm. In winter, instead of rain there is garúa drizzle, which wets the streets but barely shows up in millimetres.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Humidity and grey skies

In winter humidity is above 90% and reaches 99%: fog, garúa drizzle, dense cloud cover by the sea. Because of the dampness, 15 degrees feels like 13–14.

SpecialistAndina: winter 2025 in Lima, SENAMHI forecast for temperature and humidity · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Lima →

Cali

Warm all year round

There is no winter: in the coolest month, November, it averages 19 degrees at night and 28.8 during the day, in August 18.5 and 30.9. The difference between months is about 2 degrees.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

In the city about 1,485 mm a year and 166 rainy days. Two wet seasons, March-May and October-November; driest in July-August.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Cali →

Safety

Lima

Crime by zone

In 2025, 27.6% of Lima residents aged over 15 were victims of crime. In the zone with Miraflores and San Isidro it was 21.5%, in the east with La Molina 31.3%.

OfficialINEI: Victimización en el Perú 2025, ENAPRES survey · checked 29 Sep 2026

Earthquakes

The IGP geophysical institute expects an earthquake stronger than M8.8 near Lima with a tsunami above 8 m. The last one like that was in 1746; when the next will come is unknown.

OfficialIGP: the 1746 earthquake and the expected seismic scenario for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Lima →

Cali

Homicides

According to Ministry of Defense open data, Cali had 1,068 homicides in 2025 against 950 in 2024. In January-August 2026 there were 766, 17% more than in the same period of 2025.

OfficialColombian Ministry of Defense, open data: homicides by municipality (HOMICIDIO) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Cali →

Internet and phone

Lima

Internet for remote work

WIN fibre in Lima: 500 Mbit/s for 99 soles a month, 850 for 119, 1000 for 139. The line is symmetric, traffic is unlimited, and the first month is cheaper.

SpecialistWIN: home fiber-optic internet plans for Lima and Callao · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Lima →

Cali

Home internet

Tigo sells home internet at 200-500 Mbit/s for 60,900-75,900 pesos a month (strata 1-3, VAT included). On cable the upload is only 12-15 Mbit/s, on fibre 100-250.

SpecialistTigo: terms of home plans, internet plan specifications · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Cali →

Services

Lima

Electricity tariff

Luz del Sur from August 2026: 75.56 centimos per kWh for consumption above 140 kWh and 2.66 soles a month. For 300 kWh the bill comes to about 229 soles.

OfficialLuz del Sur: electricity tariffs including IGV, pliego of 4 August 2026 (document “Tarifas - Setiembre 2026”) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Water and sewerage Sedapal

Water and sewerage: the first 10 m³ at 3.58 soles, more after that. A bill for 15 m³ is about 72 soles with IGV tax; this is a calculation based on the Sedapal tariff.

OfficialSunass: resolution 00145-2025-SUNASS-CD, Sedapal tariff structure for year 5 of the 2022-2027 period · checked 30 Sep 2026

Piped gas Cálidda

Piped gas from Cálidda, September 2026: about 1.73 soles per m³ with tax and 1.29 soles a month. For 30 m³ it comes to about 53 soles. The network is not available everywhere.

OfficialCálidda: tariff table for piped gas in Lima and Callao, service for September 2026 (Osinergmin) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about services in Lima →

Cali

Electricity from EMCALI

EMCALI has one of the cheapest electricity prices in the country: 868.6 pesos per kWh for stratum 4 as of June 2026. 300 kWh a month is about 261 thousand pesos (78 dollars).

SpecialistValora Analitik: the most expensive electricity tariffs for stratum 4 in Colombia · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about services in Cali →

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