Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Birmingham, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,622 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Birmingham, AL

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 Birmingham, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $2,622 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lima $1,042
Birmingham, AL $2,622

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $3,887 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lima $1,651
Birmingham, AL $3,887

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $5,152 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lima $2,259
Birmingham, AL $5,152

Lima is about 60% cheaper than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 23% below the global median, while Birmingham, AL is 94% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$17.48 $17.48

-73.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$69.1 $69.1

-50.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$8.96 $8.96

-21.76%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$5.82 $5.82

-44.67%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.72 $2.72

-58.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$2.39 $2.39

-74.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$5.09 $5.09

-42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$6.16 $6.16

-31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$1.03 $1.03

53.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$2.99 $2.99

-12.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$4.60 $4.60

-71.74%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$4.06 $4.06

-28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$9.77 $9.77

-2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$11.13 $11.13

-48.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.58

$16.45 $16.45

-42.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$6.51 $6.51

-69.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.39 $1.39

-26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$8.48 $8.48

-82.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$5.61 $5.61

-73.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$4.56 $4.56

-80.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$4.42 $4.42

-79.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.73 $2.73

-68.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.76 $2.76

-67.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$8.52 $8.52

-35.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.00

$14.91 $14.91

-31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$2.41 $2.41

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$3.72 $3.72

-15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$1.53 $1.53

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

$81.1 $81.1

-60.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.79

$3.08 $3.08

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

$30.54 $30.54

-68.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$0.89 $0.89

92.13%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

$26.4K $26.4K

-17.27%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

10.81%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$267 $267

-75.33%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$76.5 $76.5

-80.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$74.5 $74.5

-63.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$54.8 $54.8

-39.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

$20.03 $20.03

0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$15.76 $15.76

-54.82%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$1,406 $1,406

-78.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$18.9K $18.9K

12.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$57.7 $57.7

-9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$39.21 $39.21

-8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$107 $107

-23.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$161 $161

-51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$1,623 $1,623

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$1,133 $1,133

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,297

$2,593 $2,593

-51.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$1,978 $1,978

-62.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,191

$2,622 $2,622

-9.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,697

$1,857 $1,857

-26.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

$3,305 $3,305

-80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.69

25.26%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Birmingham, AL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.2% 204% $760

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3% 87.6% $200

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Birmingham, AL

$295 11.2% 132% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Birmingham, AL

$164 6.3% 47.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Birmingham, AL

$418 15.9% 287% $310

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Birmingham, AL

$98 3.8% 106% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3% 83.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Lima versus $1,623 in Birmingham, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Birmingham, AL are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima versus $69 in Birmingham, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $428 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

200,733

💱 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

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Between locations

Lima Birmingham, AL 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Birmingham, AL

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 Birmingham, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,042 in Lima, $2,622 in Birmingham, AL – Lima comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,564 per month in Lima and $3,934 in Birmingham, AL. 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 $1,623 in Birmingham, AL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $2,622 in Birmingham, AL. That makes Lima about 60% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% 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 Birmingham, AL at $2,622. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham, AL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Lima to $2,622 in Birmingham, AL. 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, Birmingham, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.