Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albuquerque, NM and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Albuquerque, NM
🇺🇸 United States
$2,381
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albuquerque, NM and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albuquerque, NM and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $996 in Lima, rent included.

  • Albuquerque, NM $2,381
  • Lima $996

A couple spends around $3,551 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $1,594 in Lima, rent included.

  • Albuquerque, NM $3,551
  • Lima $1,594

A family of three spends $4,721 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $2,191 in Lima, rent included.

  • Albuquerque, NM $4,721
  • Lima $2,191

Albuquerque, NM costs about 139% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Albuquerque, NM sits 78% above the global median, while Lima is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.88 $16.88
$4.42 PEN 15.16
281.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.0 $69.0
$35.04 PEN 120
96.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.12 $10.12
$6.84 PEN 23.44
47.95%
Cappuccino
$4.94 $4.94
$3.27 PEN 11.22
51.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.10 PEN 3.78
159.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.65 PEN 2.22
280.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.58 PEN 8.85
129.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.15 $8.15
$4.47 PEN 15.34
82.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.59 PEN 5.46
-42.14%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 $3.19
$2.58 PEN 8.86
23.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$1.36 PEN 4.65
236.03%
Eggs
$4.72 $4.72
$2.95 PEN 10.11
60.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.76 $11.76
$9.10 PEN 31.19
29.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 $9.61
$5.81 PEN 19.91
65.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.63 $20.63
$9.83 PEN 33.68
109.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$2.01 PEN 6.89
131.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.08 PEN 3.69
37.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$1.37 PEN 4.70
210.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$1.48 PEN 5.06
258.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.13 $3.13
$0.96 PEN 3.30
226.04%
Onion (1kg)
$3.21 $3.21
$0.85 PEN 2.92
277.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.06 $2.06
$0.88 PEN 3.02
134.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$0.87 PEN 2.97
222.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 $10.44
$5.90 PEN 20.24
76.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.81 $13.81
$8.81 PEN 30.21
56.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.92 PEN 6.57
26.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 $3.71
$3.20 PEN 10.98
15.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$3.98 $3.98
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-85.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 $3.58
$3.81 PEN 13.06
-6.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 $2.05
$2.04 PEN 7.00
0.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.88 $31.88
$7.14 PEN 24.49
346.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.65 PEN 5.65
-41.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
40.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K $24.3K
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
-5.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 $158
$73.0 PEN 250
116.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.6 $63.6
$16.26 PEN 55.7
291.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.9 $71.9
$27.60 PEN 94.6
160.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.45 $48.45
$33.07 PEN 113
46.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.35 $14.35
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-26.37%
Cinema Ticket
$12.88 $12.88
$7.39 PEN 25.33
74.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,484 $1,484
$182 PEN 624
715.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.8K $24.8K
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
86.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 $55.3
$52.6 PEN 180
5.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.89 $42.89
$34.23 PEN 117
25.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$83.8 PEN 287
26.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$79.0 PEN 271
49.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,181 $1,181
$723 PEN 2,479
63.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,119 $1,119
$340 PEN 1,166
229.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,339 $2,339
$1,184 PEN 4,060
97.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 $1,963
$635 PEN 2,176
209.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,496 $2,496
$2,449 PEN 8,394
1.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,214 $2,214
$1,372 PEN 4,702
61.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Albuquerque, NM
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,942 $3,942
$653 PEN 2,237
504.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
8.94
-26.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Albuquerque, NM
$1.1K
Lima
$340 69.6% $779
Groceries & Markets
Albuquerque, NM
$404
Lima
$226 44% $178
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Albuquerque, NM
$294
Lima
$117 60.2% $177
Eating Out
Albuquerque, NM
$292
Lima
$124 57.5% $168
Clothing & Footwear
Albuquerque, NM
$145
Lima
$112 22.6% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Albuquerque, NM
$74
Lima
$48 35.5% $26
Getting Around
Albuquerque, NM
$18 *
Lima
$43 144% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,181 in Albuquerque, NM versus $723 in Lima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 504% higher in Albuquerque, NM, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Albuquerque, NM versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
05:19 5:19 AM
1 h ahead of Albuquerque, NM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
564,559
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Albuquerque, NM Lima 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Albuquerque, NM
  • Lima

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Albuquerque, NM vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Albuquerque, NM or Lima?
Albuquerque, NM costs about 139% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Albuquerque, NM and in Lima?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,571 per month in Albuquerque, NM and $1,494 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Albuquerque, NM or Lima?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Albuquerque, NM compared to Lima?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM and $996 in Lima. That's a gap of about 139%.
How expensive is transport in Albuquerque, NM compared to Lima?
Public transport costs about 572% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Albuquerque, NM or in Lima?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Albuquerque, NM at $2,381. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Albuquerque, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Albuquerque, NM or Lima?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $996 versus $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Albuquerque, NM or to Lima?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Albuquerque, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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