Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baton Rouge, LA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,221 in Baton Rouge, LA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Baton Rouge, LA, United States
Lima, Peru
Baton Rouge, LA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,221
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,042
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,221 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $1,042 in Lima.

  • Baton Rouge, LA $2,221
  • Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $1,651 in Lima.

  • Baton Rouge, LA $3,303
  • Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,385 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $2,259 in Lima.

  • Baton Rouge, LA $4,385
  • Lima $2,259

Living in Baton Rouge, LA is roughly 113% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baton Rouge, LA is 64% above, Lima is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.83 $14.83
$4.64 PEN 15.95
219.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.0 $83.0
$34.34 PEN 118
141.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.86 $11.86
$7.01 PEN 24.12
69.19%
Cappuccino
$6.13 $6.13
$3.22 PEN 11.09
90.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.13 PEN 3.90
92.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 $1.36
$0.61 PEN 2.09
122.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.61 $5.61
$2.93 PEN 10.08
91.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.30 $7.30
$4.25 PEN 14.63
71.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.58 PEN 5.44
-16.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.90 $2.90
$2.61 PEN 8.98
11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.30 PEN 4.47
79.23%
Eggs
$2.96 $2.96
$2.92 PEN 10.05
1.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.10 $13.10
$9.54 PEN 32.82
37.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.55 $14.55
$5.71 PEN 19.66
154.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.71 $23.71
$9.47 PEN 32.58
150.37%
Apples (1kg)
$7.22 $7.22
$2.01 PEN 6.91
259.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$1.02 PEN 3.52
191.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.23 $6.23
$1.45 PEN 4.99
329.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 $4.21
$1.49 PEN 5.14
182.55%
Potato (1kg)
$3.68 $3.68
$0.91 PEN 3.14
304.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.67 $2.67
$0.89 PEN 3.07
200.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 $2.27
$0.86 PEN 2.97
163.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$0.89 PEN 3.06
103.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.88 $8.88
$5.47 PEN 18.83
62.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.17 $19.17
$10.17 PEN 35.00
88.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.81 PEN 6.21
1.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$3.15 PEN 10.84
-37.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.79 $1.79
$0.66 PEN 2.28
171.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.2 $55.2
$31.89 PEN 110
73.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.12 $4.12
$3.43 PEN 11.79
20.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.98 PEN 6.80
-35.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.64 $29.64
$9.60 PEN 33.04
208.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.71 PEN 5.89
-41.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K $28.6K
$21.9K PEN 75.3K
30.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$29.0K PEN 100.0K
-8.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 $137
$65.8 PEN 227
108.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.09 $44.09
$15.26 PEN 52.5
188.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.7 $70.7
$26.87 PEN 92.5
162.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.93 $47.93
$32.91 PEN 113
45.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.02 $10.02
$20.12 PEN 69.2
-50.20%
Cinema Ticket
$11.91 $11.91
$7.12 PEN 24.49
67.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,921 $1,921
$309 PEN 1,064
521.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K $19.9K
$21.4K PEN 73.5K
-6.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.58 $33.58
$52.0 PEN 179
-35.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.88 $41.88
$35.69 PEN 123
17.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 $87.8
$81.8 PEN 281
7.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.8 $70.8
$78.0 PEN 268
-9.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,127 $2,127
$727 PEN 2,501
192.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$990 $990
$373 PEN 1,284
165.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,572 $2,572
$1,249 PEN 4,297
106.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,534 $1,534
$739 PEN 2,544
107.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,702 $1,702
$2,380 PEN 8,191
-28.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,596 $1,596
$1,365 PEN 4,697
16.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baton Rouge, LA
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,623 $3,623
$650 PEN 2,238
457.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
8.38
-24.58%

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

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: 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
Baton Rouge, LA
$990
Lima
$373 62.3% $616
Groceries & Markets
Baton Rouge, LA
$445
Lima
$228 48.7% $217
Eating Out
Baton Rouge, LA
$285
Lima
$127 55.4% $158
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baton Rouge, LA
$252
Lima
$108 57.2% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Baton Rouge, LA
$105
Lima
$111 5.7% $6
Getting Around
Baton Rouge, LA
$73
Lima
$48 34.4% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Baton Rouge, LA
$72
Lima
$47 34.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,127 in Baton Rouge, LA and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baton Rouge, LA pays about 5.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Baton Rouge, LA vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
22:24 10:24 PM
23:24 11:24 PM
1 h ahead of Baton Rouge, LA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
229,493
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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baton Rouge, LA Lima 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Baton Rouge, LA
  • 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
Baton Rouge, LA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Baton Rouge, LA and in Lima?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,221 in Baton Rouge, LA and $1,042 in Lima, so Lima is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Baton Rouge, LA or Lima?
Average pay in Baton Rouge, LA is about 5.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Baton Rouge, LA and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,127 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Baton Rouge, LA and in Lima?
A monthly transit pass in Lima runs roughly 42% less than in Baton Rouge, LA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Baton Rouge, LA and Lima?
Childcare runs $1,921 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $309 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,221 in Baton Rouge, LA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Baton Rouge, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Baton Rouge, LA and Lima?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Baton Rouge, LA or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Baton Rouge, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Baton Rouge, LA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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