Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,622 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,622 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $1,042 in Lima, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $2,622
Lima $1,042

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $1,651 in Lima, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $3,887
Lima $1,651

A family of three spends $5,152 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $2,259 in Lima, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $5,152
Lima $2,259

Birmingham, AL costs about 152% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Birmingham, AL sits 94% above the global median, while Lima is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 $17.48

$4.64 PEN 15.95

276.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 $69.1

$34.34 PEN 118

101.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$7.01 PEN 24.12

27.82%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.22 PEN 11.09

80.75%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.13 PEN 3.90

140.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.61 PEN 2.09

291.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.93 PEN 10.07

73.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.25 PEN 14.63

44.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-34.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.61 PEN 8.98

14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.30 PEN 4.46

253.85%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$2.92 PEN 10.04

39.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 $9.77

$9.54 PEN 32.82

2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$5.71 PEN 19.66

94.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$9.47 PEN 32.57

73.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.01 PEN 6.91

223.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.02 PEN 3.52

36.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.48 $8.48

$1.45 PEN 4.99

484.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$1.49 PEN 5.14

276.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$0.91 PEN 3.14

401.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$0.89 PEN 3.07

396.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.86 PEN 2.97

217.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.89 PEN 3.05

210.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.52 $8.52

$5.47 PEN 18.83

55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$10.17 PEN 34.99

46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.81 PEN 6.21

33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.15 PEN 10.83

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.66 PEN 2.28

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 $81.1

$31.89 PEN 110

154.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.43 PEN 11.79

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-18.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.54 $30.54

$9.60 PEN 33.03

218.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-47.95%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.9K PEN 75.2K

20.88%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

-9.76%

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

$267 $267

$65.8 PEN 227

305.30%

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

$76.5 $76.5

$15.26 PEN 52.5

401.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$26.87 PEN 92.5

177.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 $54.8

$32.91 PEN 113

66.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 $20.03

$20.12 PEN 69.2

-0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$7.12 PEN 24.49

121.35%

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

$1,406 $1,406

$309 PEN 1,063

354.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

-11.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$52.0 PEN 179

10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 $39.21

$35.69 PEN 123

9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$81.8 PEN 281

31.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 $161

$78.0 PEN 268

106.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$727 PEN 2,501

123.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 $1,133

$373 PEN 1,284

203.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$1,249 PEN 4,296

107.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 $1,978

$739 PEN 2,543

167.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 $2,622

$2,380 PEN 8,190

10.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 $1,857

$1,365 PEN 4,696

36.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,305 $3,305

$650 PEN 2,237

408.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.38

-20.17%

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

Last update for Birmingham, AL: 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

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.2%

Lima

$373 35.8% 67.1% $760

Groceries & Markets

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3%

Lima

$228 21.9% 46.7% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birmingham, AL

$418 15.9%

Lima

$108 10.4% 74.2% $310

Eating Out

Birmingham, AL

$295 11.2%

Lima

$127 12.2% 56.9% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Birmingham, AL

$164 6.3%

Lima

$111 10.7% 32.2% $53

Getting Around

Birmingham, AL

$98 3.8%

Lima

$48 4.6% 51.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3%

Lima

$47 4.5% 45.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,623 in Birmingham, AL 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 Birmingham, AL are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Birmingham, AL versus $34 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $228 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

1 h ahead of Birmingham, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,733

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 = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Birmingham, AL Lima 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Birmingham, AL
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

Birmingham, AL vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,622 in Birmingham, AL, $1,042 in Lima – Lima comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Birmingham, AL and $1,564 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $727 there versus $1,623 in Birmingham, AL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,622 in Birmingham, AL and $1,042 in Lima. That makes Lima about 60% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Birmingham, AL at $2,622. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham, AL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Lima to $2,622 in Birmingham, AL. 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, Birmingham, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.