Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,373

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,373 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,012 in Lima, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $2,373
Lima $1,012

A couple spends around $3,450 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,589 in Lima, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $3,450
Lima $1,589

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,167 in Lima, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $4,527
Lima $2,167

Ellensburg, WA costs about 134% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ellensburg, WA sits 76% above the global median, while Lima is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$4.40 PEN 15.10

241.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$35.17 PEN 121

109.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$6.89 PEN 23.65

73.15%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$3.26 PEN 11.20

60.43%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.12 PEN 3.84

36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.62 PEN 2.11

95.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.65 PEN 9.09

87.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.41 PEN 15.15

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-39.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.56 PEN 8.78

8.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.35 PEN 4.65

245.93%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.90 PEN 9.96

45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$8.85 PEN 30.38

76.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.98 PEN 20.52

9.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$9.78 PEN 33.59

41.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.05 PEN 7.02

135.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.06 PEN 3.66

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.35 PEN 4.64

215.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.50 PEN 5.15

164.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.88 PEN 3.03

70.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.92 PEN 3.15

140.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.89 PEN 3.07

129.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.90 PEN 3.10

102.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$5.90 PEN 20.27

66.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.52 PEN 29.26

62.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.22 PEN 11.05

54.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.68 PEN 2.33

197.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.81 PEN 13.09

33.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.36 $40.36

$7.11 PEN 24.41

467.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-37.21%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

43.41%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

2.72%

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

$152 $152

$73.1 PEN 251

107.95%

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

$39.44 $39.44

$16.35 PEN 56.2

141.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$27.47 PEN 94.3

152.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 $42.32

$31.90 PEN 110

32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$7.05 PEN 24.23

123.12%

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

$1,360 $1,360

$182 PEN 627

645.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

67.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.99 $34.99

$53.8 PEN 185

-34.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 $34.67

$34.32 PEN 118

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$82.8 PEN 284

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.70 $40.70

$78.2 PEN 269

-47.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$721 PEN 2,476

117.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$343 PEN 1,179

279.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$1,219 PEN 4,186

107.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$651 PEN 2,235

224.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,525 $4,525

$2,414 PEN 8,292

87.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,445 $4,445

$1,357 PEN 4,660

227.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,770 $1,770

$648 PEN 2,226

173.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.94

-27.29%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 54.9%

Lima

$343 33.9% 73.6% $958

Groceries & Markets

Ellensburg, WA

$350 14.7%

Lima

$226 22.3% 35.4% $124

Eating Out

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 53.5% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellensburg, WA

$261 11%

Lima

$117 11.6% 55.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1%

Lima

$112 11.1% 14.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ellensburg, WA

$74 3.1%

Lima

$46 4.6% 37.6% $28

Getting Around

Ellensburg, WA

$22 * 0.9%

Lima

$43 4.3% 98.3% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,571 in Ellensburg, WA 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 173% higher in Ellensburg, WA, 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 $74.0 in Ellensburg, WA versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

2 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,666

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Ellensburg, WA Lima 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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

Ellensburg, WA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ellensburg, WA costs about 134% 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 $3,559 per month in Ellensburg, WA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ellensburg, WA and $35.00 in Lima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Ellensburg, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Ellensburg, WA at $2,373. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ellensburg, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,012 versus $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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