Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,975 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,975

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,975 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $996 in Lima, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $2,975
Lima $996

A couple spends around $4,357 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $1,594 in Lima, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $4,357
Lima $1,594

A family of three spends $5,739 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $2,191 in Lima, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $5,739
Lima $2,191

Fairbanks, AK costs about 199% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fairbanks, AK sits 122% above the global median, while Lima is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$4.42 PEN 15.21

469.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$35.04 PEN 121

190.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 $15.25

$6.84 PEN 23.52

122.95%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$3.27 PEN 11.26

87.16%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.10 PEN 3.80

149.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.65 PEN 2.23

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.58 PEN 8.88

163.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.47 PEN 15.39

120.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.59 PEN 5.48

-28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.58 PEN 8.89

108.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.36 PEN 4.67

244.12%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.95 PEN 10.14

43.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.64 $21.64

$9.10 PEN 31.30

137.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 $9.08

$5.81 PEN 19.98

56.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$9.83 PEN 33.80

108.04%

Apples (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$2.01 PEN 6.92

280.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.08 PEN 3.70

93.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.37 PEN 4.71

331.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.48 PEN 5.08

317.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$0.96 PEN 3.32

285.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$0.85 PEN 2.93

328.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.88 PEN 3.03

212.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.87 PEN 2.98

124.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.90 PEN 20.31

106.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$8.81 PEN 30.31

36.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.92 PEN 6.59

-8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.68 PEN 2.33

126.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.97 $39.97

$26.74 PEN 92.0

49.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.04 PEN 7.02

4.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.48 $45.48

$7.14 PEN 24.57

536.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.65 PEN 5.67

-22.42%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

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

$209 $209

$73.0 PEN 251

186.65%

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

$63.2 $63.2

$16.26 PEN 55.9

288.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$142 $142

$27.60 PEN 94.9

415.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 $98.7

$33.07 PEN 114

198.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

Cinema Ticket

$18.05 $18.05

$7.39 PEN 25.41

144.25%

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

$1,826 $1,826

$182 PEN 626

903.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$52.6 PEN 181

12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 $40.69

$34.23 PEN 118

18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$83.8 PEN 288

41.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$79.0 PEN 272

50.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 $1,596

$723 PEN 2,488

120.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 $1,379

$340 PEN 1,170

305.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$1,184 PEN 4,074

119.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$635 PEN 2,183

246.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,984 $1,984

$2,449 PEN 8,423

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 $2,029

$1,372 PEN 4,718

47.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,943 $3,943

$653 PEN 2,245

504.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

8.94

-24.94%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46%

Lima

$340 33.6% 75.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Fairbanks, AK

$463 * 15.5%

Lima

$226 22.4% 51.1% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairbanks, AK

$415 13.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 71.8% $298

Eating Out

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1%

Lima

$124 12.3% 68.4% $269

Clothing & Footwear

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1%

Lima

$112 11.1% 26% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Fairbanks, AK

$135 4.5%

Lima

$48 4.7% 64.5% $87

Getting Around

Fairbanks, AK

$60 2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 28% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,596 in Fairbanks, AK versus $723 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 504% higher in Fairbanks, AK, 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 $102 in Fairbanks, AK versus $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

3 h ahead of Fairbanks, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,515

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 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

Fairbanks, AK Lima 10,340 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairbanks, AK
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

Fairbanks, AK vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fairbanks, AK is pricier by about 199%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,462 per month in Fairbanks, AK and $1,494 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.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Fairbanks, AK, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Fairbanks, AK and $35.00 in Lima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Fairbanks, AK at $2,975. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fairbanks, AK 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fairbanks, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.