Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $2,299 in Des Moines, IA.

Lima $1,042
Des Moines, IA $2,299

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $3,459 in Des Moines, IA.

Lima $1,651
Des Moines, IA $3,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $4,618 in Des Moines, IA.

Lima $2,259
Des Moines, IA $4,618

Living in Lima costs roughly 55% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 23% below, Des Moines, IA is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$19.89 $19.89

-76.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$102 $102

-66.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$11.80 $11.80

-40.59%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$6.54 $6.54

-50.76%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.97 $2.97

-61.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$2.47 $2.47

-75.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$5.05 $5.05

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$5.65 $5.65

-24.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$0.86 $0.86

83.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$3.01 $3.01

-13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$3.24 $3.24

-59.88%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$3.88 $3.88

-24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$9.40 $9.40

1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$17.22 $17.22

-66.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.58

$18.91 $18.91

-49.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$5.25 $5.25

-61.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.52 $1.52

-32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$4.92 $4.92

-70.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$3.71 $3.71

-59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$4.31 $4.31

-78.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.24 $2.24

-60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.76 $2.76

-68.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$3.04 $3.04

-70.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$10.13 $10.13

-46.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.00

$14.81 $14.81

-31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$1.68 $1.68

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$2.93 $2.93

7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$1.71 $1.71

-61.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

$57.8 $57.8

-44.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.79

$1.99 $1.99

72.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.25 $1.25

58.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

$19.83 $19.83

-51.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$1.01 $1.01

69.31%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

-18.66%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

13.66%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$191 $191

-65.55%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$52.9 $52.9

-71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$77.2 $77.2

-65.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$33.80 $33.80

-2.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

$20.24 $20.24

-0.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$9.86 $9.86

-27.79%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$1,313 $1,313

-76.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$14.6K $14.6K

46.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$77.0 $77.0

-32.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$56.1 $56.1

-36.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$103 $103

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$166 $166

-52.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$1,218 $1,218

-40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$918 $918

-59.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,297

$2,058 $2,058

-39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$1,422 $1,422

-48.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,191

$2,418 $2,418

-1.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,697

$2,262 $2,262

-39.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

$3,788 $3,788

-82.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.57

27.55%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Des Moines, IA

$918 40% 146% $545

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3% 84.4% $193

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4% 161% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9% 62.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Des Moines, IA

$321 14% 198% $213

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2% 52.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3% 13.6% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Lima and $1,218 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Lima vs $102 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $421 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

05:00 5:00 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

214,133

💱 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 Des Moines, IA 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Lima. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $727 in Lima versus $1,218 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $34 versus $102 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,042 per month in Lima versus $2,299 in Des Moines, IA – Lima is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.