Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Billings, MT and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,012 in Lima, rent included.

Billings, MT $2,260
Lima $1,012

A couple spends around $3,500 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,589 in Lima, rent included.

Billings, MT $3,500
Lima $1,589

A family of three spends $4,739 per month in Billings, MT vs $2,167 in Lima, rent included.

Billings, MT $4,739
Lima $2,167

Billings, MT costs about 123% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Billings, MT sits 67% above the global median, while Lima is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.42 $26.42

$4.40 PEN 15.10

500.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$35.17 PEN 121

112.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$6.89 PEN 23.65

93.32%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$3.26 PEN 11.20

89.57%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.12 PEN 3.84

119.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.62 PEN 2.11

156.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.65 PEN 9.09

53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.41 PEN 15.15

10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-35.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.56 PEN 8.78

38.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.35 PEN 4.65

129.63%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$2.90 PEN 9.96

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$8.85 PEN 30.38

33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$5.98 PEN 20.52

94.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 $17.45

$9.78 PEN 33.59

78.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.05 PEN 7.02

74.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.06 PEN 3.66

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.35 PEN 4.64

121.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.50 PEN 5.15

199.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.88 PEN 3.03

34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.92 PEN 3.15

119.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.89 PEN 3.07

158.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.90 PEN 3.10

57.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$5.90 PEN 20.27

60.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 $10.92

$8.52 PEN 29.26

28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.88 PEN 6.45

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.22 PEN 11.05

57.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.68 PEN 2.33

188.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.77 $27.77

$26.86 PEN 92.2

3.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-35.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-33.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$7.11 PEN 24.41

731.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-40.12%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

48.13%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

-4.54%

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

$176 $176

$73.1 PEN 251

140.55%

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

$49.08 $49.08

$16.35 PEN 56.2

200.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 $85.9

$27.47 PEN 94.3

212.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.69 $48.69

$31.90 PEN 110

52.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.41 PEN 66.7

-21.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$7.05 PEN 24.23

92.48%

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

$1,074 $1,074

$182 PEN 627

488.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$53.8 PEN 185

13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 $67.0

$34.32 PEN 118

95.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$82.8 PEN 284

17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$78.2 PEN 269

54.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$721 PEN 2,476

75.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$343 PEN 1,179

175.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 $2,110

$1,219 PEN 4,186

73.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$651 PEN 2,235

179.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 $2,393

$2,414 PEN 8,292

-0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 $2,096

$1,357 PEN 4,660

54.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$648 PEN 2,226

507.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

8.94

-28.41%

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

Last update for Billings, MT: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Billings, MT

$947 41.9%

Lima

$343 33.9% 63.7% $603

Eating Out

Billings, MT

$372 16.5%

Lima

$124 12.3% 66.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Billings, MT

$354 15.7%

Lima

$226 22.3% 36.2% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Billings, MT

$311 13.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 62.4% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Billings, MT

$156 6.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 28.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Billings, MT

$76 3.4%

Lima

$46 4.6% 39.3% $30

Getting Around

Billings, MT

$45 2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 2.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Billings, MT versus $721 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 507% higher in Billings, MT, 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 $75.0 in Billings, MT versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

12:15 12:15 PM

1 h ahead of Billings, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,116

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 October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Billings, MT Lima 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Billings, MT
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

Billings, MT vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 123% 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 $3,390 per month in Billings, MT and $1,518 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,074 per month in Billings, MT and $182 in Lima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Billings, MT at $2,260. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Billings, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,012 versus $2,260 in Billings, MT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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