Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cookeville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,401 in Cookeville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lima, Peru
Cookeville, TN, United States
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,042
/mo nomad
Cookeville, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,401
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Cookeville, TN

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 Cookeville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $2,401 in Cookeville, TN, rent included.

  • Lima $1,042
  • Cookeville, TN $2,401

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $3,600 in Cookeville, TN, rent included.

  • Lima $1,651
  • Cookeville, TN $3,600

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $4,799 in Cookeville, TN, rent included.

  • Lima $2,259
  • Cookeville, TN $4,799

Lima is about 57% cheaper than Cookeville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 23% below the global median, while Cookeville, TN is 78% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64 PEN 15.95
$21.14 $21.14
-78.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.34 PEN 118
$49.23 $49.23
-30.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.01 PEN 24.12
$7.79 $7.79
-10.01%
Cappuccino
$3.22 PEN 11.09
$4.07 $4.07
-20.88%
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
$1.71 $1.71
-64.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.93 PEN 10.07
$5.04 $5.04
-41.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 PEN 14.63
$4.61 $4.61
-7.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.44
$0.82 $0.82
92.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.98
$2.65 $2.65
-1.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.30 PEN 4.46
$7.66 $7.66
-83.03%
Eggs
$2.92 PEN 10.04
$3.21 $3.21
-9.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 PEN 32.82
$20.04 $20.04
-52.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.71 PEN 19.66
$8.87 $8.87
-35.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.47 PEN 32.57
$17.92 $17.92
-47.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.91
$9.91 $9.91
-79.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 PEN 3.52
$2.17 $2.17
-53.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 PEN 4.99
$2.22 $2.22
-34.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 PEN 5.14
$2.18 $2.18
-31.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$2.23 $2.23
-59.19%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$2.16 $2.16
-58.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.86 PEN 2.97
$2.94 $2.94
-70.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.05
$3.03 $3.03
-70.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 PEN 18.83
$9.10 $9.10
-39.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 PEN 34.99
$12.37 $12.37
-17.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 PEN 6.21
$1.71 $1.71
5.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 PEN 10.83
$8.21 $8.21
-61.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
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
$6.10 $6.10
-43.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 PEN 6.80
$0.64 $0.64
209.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.60 PEN 33.03
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.89
$0.73 $0.73
134.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K PEN 75.2K
$27.5K $27.5K
-20.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.0K PEN 99.9K
$26.8K $26.8K
8.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.8 PEN 227
$298 $298
-77.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.26 PEN 52.5
$45.01 $45.01
-66.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.87 PEN 92.5
$85.4 $85.4
-68.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.91 PEN 113
$34.46 $34.46
-4.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.12 PEN 69.2
$37.56 $37.56
-46.43%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 PEN 24.49
$14.18 $14.18
-49.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$309 PEN 1,063
$824 $824
-62.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K PEN 73.5K
$15.3K $15.3K
39.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 PEN 179
$44.85 $44.85
15.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.69 PEN 123
$45.85 $45.85
-22.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.8 PEN 281
$133 $133
-38.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 PEN 268
$140 $140
-44.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$727 PEN 2,501
$1,142 $1,142
-36.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 PEN 1,284
$1,016 $1,016
-63.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 PEN 4,296
$2,493 $2,493
-49.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 PEN 2,543
$1,961 $1,961
-62.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,380 PEN 8,190
$2,257 $2,257
5.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,365 PEN 4,696
$2,258 $2,258
-39.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Cookeville, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$650 PEN 2,237
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.38
6.59
27.16%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cookeville, TN: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$373
Cookeville, TN
$1K 172% $643
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$228
Cookeville, TN
$428 87.4% $199
Eating Out
Lima
$127
Cookeville, TN
$293 131% $167
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$111
Cookeville, TN
$164 46.9% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$108
Cookeville, TN
$429 297% $321
Getting Around
Lima
$48
Cookeville, TN
$9.3 * 80.5% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$47
Cookeville, TN
$63 33.3% $16

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 $1,142 in Cookeville, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima versus $49 in Cookeville, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $428 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇺🇸 Cookeville, TN
🕒 Local time
12:39 12:39 PM
11:39 11:39 AM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
28,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Cookeville, TN 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Cookeville, TN

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 Cookeville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Cookeville, TN?
Cookeville, TN costs about 130% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lima and in Cookeville, TN?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,564 per month in Lima and $3,601 in Cookeville, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lima or Cookeville, TN?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $727 there versus $1,142 in Cookeville, TN.
How do dining costs compare in Lima and in Cookeville, TN?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima and $49 in Cookeville, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lima or in Cookeville, TN?
Groceries cost about 87% more in Cookeville, TN, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lima or in Cookeville, TN?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Cookeville, TN at $2,401. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cookeville, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.

Lima vs other spots: cost of living compared

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