Moving to Lima

Today we look at moving to Lima in Peru from Saipan in Northern Mariana Islands. We highlight cost of living and other major differences likely to be experienced in our series of short blogs on moving between different international locations.
In Lima people speak Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. In Saipan people speak English, Chamarro and Carolinian.

Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru. Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Commonwealth's center of government is located in the village of Capital Hill on the island. Saipan is often referred to as the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Lima is the industrial and financial center of Peru, home to many national companies. It accounts for more than two thirds of Peru's industrial production and most of its tertiary sector. Tourism has long been a vital source of the island's revenue. In years past, the main economic driving force in Saipan was garment manufacturing, however there are no garment manufacturers left on the island.

The overall cost of living rank in Lima is 190 out of 300 global locations, which equates it with low cost of living locations.  An expatriate moving from Saipan to Lima will experience a change in cost of living of 7.1%.
In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Lima is ranked as a high degree of hardship location with a hardship index of 30% compared to Saipan with a hardship index of 40% which is an extreme hardship location.

Source: Cost of living Lima Peru as at July 2011.