Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,299 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,042 in Lima.

Des Moines, IA $2,299
Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,651 in Lima.

Des Moines, IA $3,459
Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,618 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,259 in Lima.

Des Moines, IA $4,618
Lima $2,259

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 121% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Des Moines, IA is 70% above, Lima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$4.64 PEN 15.95

328.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$34.34 PEN 118

196.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$7.01 PEN 24.12

68.33%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.22 PEN 11.09

103.11%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.13 PEN 3.90

162.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.61 PEN 2.09

304.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.93 PEN 10.08

72.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.25 PEN 14.63

32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-45.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.61 PEN 8.98

15.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.30 PEN 4.47

149.23%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$2.92 PEN 10.05

32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$9.54 PEN 32.82

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$5.71 PEN 19.66

201.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.47 PEN 32.58

99.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.01 PEN 6.91

161.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.02 PEN 3.52

49.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.45 PEN 4.99

239.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.49 PEN 5.14

148.99%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$0.91 PEN 3.14

373.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.89 PEN 3.07

151.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.86 PEN 2.97

220.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.89 PEN 3.06

241.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$5.47 PEN 18.83

85.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$10.17 PEN 35.00

45.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.81 PEN 6.21

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.15 PEN 10.84

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.66 PEN 2.28

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$31.89 PEN 110

81.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.43 PEN 11.79

-41.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-36.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 $19.83

$9.60 PEN 33.04

106.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-40.94%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

22.94%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

-12.02%

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

$191 $191

$65.8 PEN 227

190.31%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$15.26 PEN 52.5

246.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$26.87 PEN 92.5

187.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 $33.80

$32.91 PEN 113

2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 $20.24

$20.12 PEN 69.2

0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 $9.86

$7.12 PEN 24.49

38.48%

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

$1,313 $1,313

$309 PEN 1,064

324.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

-31.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$52.0 PEN 179

48.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$35.69 PEN 123

57.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$81.8 PEN 281

25.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$78.0 PEN 268

112.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 $1,218

$727 PEN 2,501

67.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 $918

$373 PEN 1,284

146.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$1,249 PEN 4,297

64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 $1,422

$739 PEN 2,544

92.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,380 PEN 8,191

1.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,262 $2,262

$1,365 PEN 4,697

65.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,788 $3,788

$650 PEN 2,238

482.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.38

-21.60%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: 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

Des Moines, IA

$918 40%

Lima

$373 35.8% 59.4% $545

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3%

Lima

$228 21.9% 45.8% $193

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4%

Lima

$127 12.2% 61.7% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$321 14%

Lima

$108 10.4% 66.4% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9%

Lima

$111 10.7% 38.4% $69

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2%

Lima

$48 4.6% 34.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3%

Lima

$47 4.5% 11.9% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in Des Moines, IA and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Des Moines, IA vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

1 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

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

Des Moines, IA Lima 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Des Moines, IA is about 5.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,218 in Des Moines, IA versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $34 versus $102 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,299 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,042 in Lima – Lima is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.