verystormy

Hi. I am a geologist from the UK currently living and working in Australia and we have considered a move to Peru. My wife was born there and half of the family are there, but she left as a teenager and we dont really know the cost of living.

Could anyone advise on what would be a reasonably good salary to live in Lima. We have no children and while we are not extravergant, we do like to eat out occaisionaly and things and not have to worry about paying the bills.

Cheers

dakota44

My wife is Peruvian as well. I've been living in Lima for 2 years now. Cost of living is very decent. Buying an apartment is getting expensive in the newer buildings, and there is a boom in construction going on now. There is a new building going up beside my apartment and the prices go up to 240k U.S.. For Peru, that is a lot.

As for renting, a very nice apartment can be had in Miraflores (one of the best districts of Lima) for anywhere from $600 to over a thousand per month. I pay $600 for two bedrooms, two baths, small kitchen and a living dining area that is not huge, but sufficient. For $800 to $1,000 I could get something bigger, but don't need it. If you get an apartment with a cuarto de servicio (servants quarters..small extra bedroom and private bath) you can hire a live in to cook and clean for about $200 to $250 a month. Otherwise you can do what I do and get someone to come and do a complete, and I mean complete clean including windows for about 40 nuevo sols (about $15)

Food is dirt cheap in comparison to the U.S. or Canada. The usual things that you might buy in a department store are often similar in price since they are imported. You can eat out at a very good restaurant, dinner for two, for about $30 to $35 or a less expensive place for half that. You can go to the movies, two people, admission and treats for about 50 nuevo sols (about $18) and less on certain days. Fast food places like McDonald's and KFC are not much different price wise than at home. But then, with all this great Peruvian food, who wants to eat there?

Transportation is interesting. Avoid the combis (small multi passenger vans) because the combis are death traps, and taxis are quite cheap really. The most I ever paid for a taxi was about $5 for a 40 minute trip from Miraflores to Surco. Otherwise, usually about $1.50 or so.

I tally up my total expenses for the apartment, rent, maintenance fee (condo fee), cable, phone, electric and it's about $800.

So, bottom line, the cost of living is pretty good all things considered.

dakota44

I would also mention that as a geologist you might have a good shot at a very good paying job with one of the mining companies here. There is an Australian company doing exploratory work right now.

One of the biggest mining companies, if not the biggest, is Antamina. They have a huge office in Lima in a new office building in Surco. I have taught English to some of their geologists and they do very well money wise. Here is a link for them. http://www.antamina.com/en/index.php

There are also Canadian mining companies here as well. I know that they pay Canadian wages, the same as they would in Canada. Also, law here requires that they also pay an additional three months of pay per year. Once before Christmas, Once in July and one other time, the month of which I cannot remember. You get a guaranteed one month of vacation, by law, and get paid for the month plus the extra month of pay. Also, by law, they have to redistribute close to 50% of their annual profits to the employees, based on years of service, salary etc. A lot of guys from those companies buy new cars for cash with the bonus, others save it up for three years or so and buy a new apartment for cash. Something to consider.

Married to a Peruvian or not, you cannot remain in Peru for more than the max of 180 days (no big deal if you do, you just pay a one dollar a day fine when you leave for a day or two, I overstayed for almost two years lol but got lucky when they transferred the entry stamp to my new passport and mistakenly stamped it 2010 instead of 2009) and need to exit and re-enter, usually an overnight experience.

You can get residency as the husband of a Peruvian, but it is almost a nightmare. If you do not intend to work, and are receiving a pension income, you can get a rentista visa, which is complicated with needing to get certain things certified at a Peruvian consulate abroad, but otherwise is easy.

Any questions, pm me.

saludos, George