Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $1,920 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Alton, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lima and in Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $1,920 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lima $1,042
Alton, IL $1,920

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $2,894 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lima $1,651
Alton, IL $2,894

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $3,869 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lima $2,259
Alton, IL $3,869

Lima is about 46% cheaper than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 23% below the global median, while Alton, IL is 42% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$21.16 $21.16

-78.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$55.6 $55.6

-38.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$11.10 $11.10

-36.85%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$4.76 $4.76

-32.35%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$1.42 $1.42

-20.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$1.77 $1.77

-65.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$4.05 $4.05

-27.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$5.92 $5.92

-28.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$0.75 $0.75

110.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$2.55 $2.55

2.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$3.18 $3.18

-59.12%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$3.22 $3.22

-9.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$9.02 $9.02

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$6.71 $6.71

-14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.58

$24.26 $24.26

-60.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$4.38 $4.38

-54.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$5.14 $5.14

-71.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$5.08 $5.08

-70.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$2.23 $2.23

-59.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.68 $2.68

-66.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.01 $2.01

-57.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.11 $2.11

-57.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$10.98 $10.98

-50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.00

$12.09 $12.09

-15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$1.80 $1.80

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$2.66 $2.66

18.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.79

$2.92 $2.92

17.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.64 $1.64

20.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$0.97 $0.97

76.29%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

-18.56%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

8.12%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$337 $337

-80.45%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$44.66 $44.66

-65.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$77.4 $77.4

-65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$27.76 $27.76

18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$12.19 $12.19

-41.59%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$280 $280

10.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$14.9K $14.9K

42.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$40.73 $40.73

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$42.76 $42.76

-16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$65.4 $65.4

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$75.2 $75.2

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$754 $754

-3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$641 $641

-41.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,297

$1,098 $1,098

13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$1,297 $1,297

-42.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,191

$1,512 $1,512

57.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,697

$1,447 $1,447

-5.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

$3,824 $3,824

-83.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

39.67%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Alton, IL

$641 33.4% 71.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Alton, IL

$351 18.3% 53.9% $123

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Alton, IL

$305 15.9% 140% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 9.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Alton, IL

$459 23.9% 325% $351

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 76.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Alton, IL

$52 2.7% 10.6% $5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Lima versus $754 in Alton, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alton, IL are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima versus $56 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $351 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

25,676

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Alton, IL 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Alton, IL

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

Lima vs Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 84% 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 $1,564 per month in Lima and $2,879 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $727 in Lima and $754 in Alton, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $1,920 in Alton, IL. That makes Lima about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Lima and $280 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Lima to $1,920 in Alton, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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