Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Chicago, IN and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,630 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,042 in Lima, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $2,630
Lima $1,042

A couple spends around $3,919 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,651 in Lima, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $3,919
Lima $1,651

A family of three spends $5,208 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,259 in Lima, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $5,208
Lima $2,259

East Chicago, IN costs about 152% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

East Chicago, IN sits 95% above the global median, while Lima is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.76 $22.76

$4.64 PEN 15.95

390.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$34.34 PEN 118

145.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 $10.72

$7.01 PEN 24.12

52.92%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$3.22 PEN 11.09

64.60%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.13 PEN 3.90

164.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.61 PEN 2.09

218.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.93 PEN 10.07

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$4.25 PEN 14.63

72.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-36.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.61 PEN 8.98

48.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.30 PEN 4.46

203.08%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.92 PEN 10.04

52.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$9.54 PEN 32.82

49.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$5.71 PEN 19.66

104.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$9.47 PEN 32.57

61.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.01 PEN 6.91

156.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.02 PEN 3.52

50.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.45 PEN 4.99

191.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.49 PEN 5.14

168.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.91 PEN 3.14

213.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.89 PEN 3.07

239.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.86 PEN 2.97

122.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.89 PEN 3.05

149.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$5.47 PEN 18.83

71.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$10.17 PEN 34.99

48.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.81 PEN 6.21

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.15 PEN 10.83

6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.66 PEN 2.28

218.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 $62.2

$31.89 PEN 110

94.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.43 PEN 11.79

14.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 $26.86

$9.60 PEN 33.03

179.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-46.20%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.9K PEN 75.2K

13.01%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

-14.99%

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

$202 $202

$65.8 PEN 227

206.43%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$15.26 PEN 52.5

275.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$26.87 PEN 92.5

165.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.09 $42.09

$32.91 PEN 113

27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$7.12 PEN 24.49

104.35%

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

$1,523 $1,523

$309 PEN 1,063

392.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$52.0 PEN 179

10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 $46.20

$35.69 PEN 123

29.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$81.8 PEN 281

24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$78.0 PEN 268

65.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$727 PEN 2,501

114.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$373 PEN 1,284

236.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 $2,620

$1,249 PEN 4,296

109.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$739 PEN 2,543

190.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 $2,910

$2,380 PEN 8,190

22.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,640 $2,640

$1,365 PEN 4,696

93.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,105 $4,105

$650 PEN 2,237

531.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.38

-21.36%

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

Last update for East Chicago, IN: 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

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 47.8%

Lima

$373 35.8% 70.3% $883

Groceries & Markets

East Chicago, IN

$397 15.1%

Lima

$228 21.9% 42.5% $169

Eating Out

East Chicago, IN

$342 13%

Lima

$127 12.2% 62.9% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Chicago, IN

$330 12.6%

Lima

$108 10.4% 67.3% $222

Clothing & Footwear

East Chicago, IN

$150 5.7%

Lima

$111 10.7% 26% $39

Getting Around

East Chicago, IN

$84 3.2%

Lima

$48 4.6% 42.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

East Chicago, IN

$71 2.7%

Lima

$47 4.5% 33.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in East Chicago, IN 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 East Chicago, IN are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in East Chicago, IN versus $34 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $228 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

1 h ahead of East Chicago, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,370

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East Chicago, IN Lima 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

East Chicago, IN
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

East Chicago, IN vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in East Chicago, IN 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 $1,556 in East Chicago, IN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in East Chicago, IN and $1,042 in Lima. That makes Lima about 60% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% 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 East Chicago, IN at $2,630. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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