Lima vs Colonia del Sacramento
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Colonia del Sacramento cheaper — −30%
Internet
✓in Lima cheaper — −53%
Ready-made house
✓in Lima cheaper — −19%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per monthLima≈ $734–1,270S/ 2,509–4,345✓Colonia del Sacramento≈ $619–793UYU 25–32kcheaper by 30%Piped gas
✓Lima≈ $0.5 per m³S/ 1.73 per m³cheaper by 56%Colonia del Sacramento≈ $1.15UYU 46.64Internet
per month✓Lima≈ $29–41S/ 99–139cheaper by 53%Colonia del Sacramento≈ $41–108UYU 1,650–4,342Winter
averageLima15–18 °C15–18 °CColonia del Sacramento11 °C11 °CPrecipitation
per yearLima13 mm13 mmColonia del Sacramento1,144.5 mm1,144.5 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Lima$151k – 260,500$151k – 260,500cheaper by 19%Colonia del Sacramento$155–350k$155–350k
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Lima
Nothing yet
Colonia del Sacramento
The 2023 census counted 135,797 people in the department of Colonia, about 4% of Uruguay's population. The source gives no separate figure for the city.
OfficialINE: final results of the 2023 census, population by department · checked 6 Oct 2026
Housing
Lima
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
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
Colonia del Sacramento
A two-bedroom house or apartment in listings costs 25–32 thousand pesos a month, median 27 thousand (about 670 dollars). Furnished or by the rambla: in dollars.
SpecialistInfoCasas: houses and apartments for rent in Colonia del Sacramento, all six pages of results (about 120 listings) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A three-bedroom house in listings costs 155–350 thousand dollars, median 230 thousand. Two bedrooms: 100–160 thousand, median 135 thousand.
SpecialistInfoCasas: houses for sale in Colonia del Sacramento, first four pages of results (85 houses out of more than 400 listings) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Lima
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
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
Colonia del Sacramento
Nothing yet
Family and kids
Lima
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
Colonia del Sacramento
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Lima
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
Colonia del Sacramento
The local FONASA health provider is ORAMECO (Alberto Méndez 170). The department also has CAMEC in Rosario and CAMOC in Carmelo. The BPS list is old, from 2018.
OfficialBPS: list of FONASA providers with the full range of services · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Lima
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
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
Colonia del Sacramento
To Buenos Aires by Colonia Express ferry in 1 h 15 min, five sailings a day each way. From Montevideo a bus with a transfer to the ferry takes 3 h 30 min.
SpecialistColonia Express: Colonia – Buenos Aires ferry timetable, September–October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Lima
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
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
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
Colonia del Sacramento
The 1991–2020 July normal is 11.0 °C: about 15 by day, about 7 at night. Frosts are rare; the absolute minimum over 30 years was minus 2.6 °C.
OfficialINUMET: 1991–2020 climate normals, Colonia station · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 1,145 mm a year with no dry season: from 69 mm in June and August to 126 mm in March. About 75 days a year with at least 1 mm of rain.
OfficialINUMET: 1991–2020 climate normals, Colonia station · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Lima
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
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
Colonia del Sacramento
In 2025 Uruguay had 369 homicides, 10.3 per 100 thousand. Colonia is not among the four departments with the most, where fourth place is 13 cases.
SpecialistMontevideo Portal: preliminary Interior Ministry data on homicides in 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Lima
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
Colonia del Sacramento
Antel fibre: 400/30 Mbit/s for 1,650 pesos a month, 1 Gbit/s for 4,342 pesos, taxes included. The price list is the same nationwide.
OfficialAntel: data tariff price list, 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Lima
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: 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 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
Colonia del Sacramento
UTE's tariff is the same nationwide: 6.744–8.452 pesos per kWh. 300 kWh with 3 kW of power is about 2,940 pesos a month (73 dollars); the decree is silent on taxes.
OfficialDecree 339/025: UTE tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
OSE outside the resort zone: for 15 m³ a month, water is about 1,065 pesos, with sewerage about 1,940 pesos (48 dollars). Tariff from 1 January 2026.
OfficialDecree 340/025: OSE water and sewerage tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Colonia has a Conecta natural gas network: 46.6 pesos per m³ plus 380 a month, before taxes. 30 m³ is about 1,780 pesos, 100 m³ in winter about 5,040.
OfficialConecta: maximum natural gas tariffs in the department of Colonia from 1 August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

