Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $1,778 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
Learn more

Hays, KS Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

Jump to prices

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,778

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,778 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,042 in Lima, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,778
Lima $1,042

A couple spends around $2,517 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,651 in Lima, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,517
Lima $1,651

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,259 in Lima, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,256
Lima $2,259

Hays, KS costs about 71% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hays, KS sits 32% above the global median, while Lima is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 $11.83

$4.64 PEN 15.95

154.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.42 $41.42

$34.34 PEN 118

20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.01 PEN 24.12

15.55%

Cappuccino

$4.09 $4.09

$3.22 PEN 11.09

27.02%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.13 PEN 3.90

119.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.61 PEN 2.09

59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.93 PEN 10.08

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.25 PEN 14.63

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-47.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.61 PEN 8.98

-14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.30 PEN 4.47

230.77%

Eggs

$2.05 $2.05

$2.92 PEN 10.05

-29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$9.54 PEN 32.82

-54.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 $8.67

$5.71 PEN 19.66

51.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 $13.30

$9.47 PEN 32.58

40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$2.01 PEN 6.91

216.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.02 PEN 3.52

61.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$1.45 PEN 4.99

313.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.49 PEN 5.14

193.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$0.91 PEN 3.14

316.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.89 PEN 3.07

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.86 PEN 2.97

125.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.89 PEN 3.06

117.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 $9.49

$5.47 PEN 18.83

73.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$10.17 PEN 35.00

17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.81 PEN 6.21

18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.15 PEN 10.84

23.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.66 PEN 2.28

204.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

$31.89 PEN 110

104.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.43 PEN 11.79

-26.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.54 $40.54

$9.60 PEN 33.04

322.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-39.77%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

28.87%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

-8.57%

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

$273 $273

$65.8 PEN 227

315.34%

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

$34.81 $34.81

$15.26 PEN 52.5

128.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 $63.2

$26.87 PEN 92.5

135.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 $36.63

$32.91 PEN 113

11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$7.12 PEN 24.49

110.96%

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

$925 $925

$309 PEN 1,064

199.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

-16.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.23 $24.23

$52.0 PEN 179

-53.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 $29.97

$35.69 PEN 123

-16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$81.8 PEN 281

26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$78.0 PEN 268

41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$727 PEN 2,501

10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 $598

$373 PEN 1,284

60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 $999

$1,249 PEN 4,297

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 $903

$739 PEN 2,544

22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,596 $2,596

$2,380 PEN 8,191

9.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,572 $2,572

$1,365 PEN 4,697

88.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,362 $2,362

$650 PEN 2,238

263.23%

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 Hays, KS: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hays, KS

$598 33.6%

Lima

$373 35.8% 37.6% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$371 20.9%

Lima

$108 10.4% 70.9% $263

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$329 18.5%

Lima

$228 21.9% 30.7% $101

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$209 11.8%

Lima

$127 12.2% 39.3% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$120 6.8%

Lima

$111 10.7% 7.5% $9

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$83 4.7%

Lima

$48 4.6% 42.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$67 3.8%

Lima

$47 4.5% 29.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $806 in Hays, KS 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 Hays, KS are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Hays, KS versus $34 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $228 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

1 h ahead of Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hays, KS Lima 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,667 per month in Hays, KS 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 $806 in Hays, KS.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $925 per month in Hays, KS and $309 in Lima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,778 in Hays, KS and $1,042 in Lima, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Hays, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.