Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton, IL and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $1,920 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alton, IL 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 Alton, IL and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,920 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,042 in Lima, rent included.

Alton, IL $1,920
Lima $1,042

A couple spends around $2,894 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,651 in Lima, rent included.

Alton, IL $2,894
Lima $1,651

A family of three spends $3,869 per month in Alton, IL vs $2,259 in Lima, rent included.

Alton, IL $3,869
Lima $2,259

Alton, IL costs about 84% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alton, IL sits 42% above the global median, while Lima is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.16 $21.16

$4.64 PEN 15.95

356.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$34.34 PEN 118

61.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$7.01 PEN 24.12

58.35%

Cappuccino

$4.76 $4.76

$3.22 PEN 11.09

47.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.13 PEN 3.90

25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.61 PEN 2.09

190.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.93 PEN 10.08

38.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.25 PEN 14.63

39.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.61 PEN 8.98

-2.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.30 PEN 4.47

144.62%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$2.92 PEN 10.05

10.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$9.54 PEN 32.82

-5.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$5.71 PEN 19.66

17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.26 $24.26

$9.47 PEN 32.58

156.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.01 PEN 6.91

117.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 PEN 3.52

17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.45 PEN 4.99

254.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.49 PEN 5.14

240.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.91 PEN 3.14

145.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.89 PEN 3.07

201.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.86 PEN 2.97

133.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.89 PEN 3.06

137.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$5.47 PEN 18.83

100.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.17 PEN 35.00

18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.81 PEN 6.21

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.15 PEN 10.84

-15.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.43 PEN 11.79

-14.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-17.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-43.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

22.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.9K $26.9K

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

-7.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$337 $337

$65.8 PEN 227

411.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.66 $44.66

$15.26 PEN 52.5

192.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.4 $77.4

$26.87 PEN 92.5

188.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.76 $27.76

$32.91 PEN 113

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$7.12 PEN 24.49

71.21%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$280 $280

$309 PEN 1,064

-9.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

-30.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.73 $40.73

$52.0 PEN 179

-21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.76 $42.76

$35.69 PEN 123

19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$81.8 PEN 281

-20.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 $75.2

$78.0 PEN 268

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 $754

$727 PEN 2,501

3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 $641

$373 PEN 1,284

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 $1,098

$1,249 PEN 4,297

-12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$739 PEN 2,544

75.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,512 $1,512

$2,380 PEN 8,191

-36.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,365 PEN 4,697

6.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$650 PEN 2,238

488.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

-28.40%

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

Last update for Alton, IL: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alton, IL

$641 33.4%

Lima

$373 35.8% 41.8% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton, IL

$459 23.9%

Lima

$108 10.4% 76.5% $351

Groceries & Markets

Alton, IL

$351 18.3%

Lima

$228 21.9% 35% $123

Eating Out

Alton, IL

$305 15.9%

Lima

$127 12.2% 58.3% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Alton, IL

$101 5.3%

Lima

$111 10.7% 10.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Alton, IL

$52 2.7%

Lima

$47 4.5% 9.6% $5

Getting Around

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6%

Lima

$48 4.6% 329% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Alton, IL versus $727 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 in Alton, IL are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Alton, IL versus $34 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $228 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

1 h ahead of Alton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,676

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alton, IL Lima 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Alton, IL
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

Alton, IL vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 84% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,879 per month in Alton, IL and $1,564 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $754 in Alton, IL and $727 in Lima. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,920 in Alton, IL and $1,042 in Lima. That makes Lima about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Alton, IL and $309 in Lima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Lima to $1,920 in Alton, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.