Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Elgin, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Lima and in Elgin, IL: $1,042 and $1,039 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,039

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $1,039 in Elgin, IL.

Lima $1,042
Elgin, IL $1,039

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $2,605 in Elgin, IL.

Lima $1,651
Elgin, IL $2,605

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $4,171 in Elgin, IL.

Lima $2,259
Elgin, IL $4,171

Monthly costs are close between Lima and Elgin, IL; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 23% lower, Elgin, IL 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$20.38 $20.38

-77.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$59.1 $59.1

-41.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$9.92 $9.92

-29.33%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$4.08 $4.08

-21.08%

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

$2.06 $2.06

-70.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$5.87 $5.87

-50.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$4.92 $4.92

-13.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$0.95 $0.95

66.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$3.16 $3.16

-17.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$4.18 $4.18

-68.90%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$3.57 $3.57

-18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$11.43 $11.43

-16.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$12.32 $12.32

-53.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.58

$11.64 $11.64

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$4.41 $4.41

-54.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.33 $1.33

-23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$2.48 $2.48

-41.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$4.20 $4.20

-64.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.91 $1.91

-52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.08 $2.08

-57.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$1.82 $1.82

-52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.34 $2.34

-61.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$10.84 $10.84

-49.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.00

$15.79 $15.79

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$2.73 $2.73

-33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$3.46 $3.46

-8.96%

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

$3.98 $3.98

-13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.96 $1.96

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

$28.08 $28.08

-65.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$1.11 $1.11

54.05%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

$30.3K $30.3K

-27.87%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

14.83%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$98.6 $98.6

-33.23%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$46.06 $46.06

-66.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$49.95 $49.95

-46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$14.97 $14.97

-52.44%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$1,634 $1,634

-81.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$21.8K $21.8K

-2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$40.76 $40.76

27.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$47.36 $47.36

-24.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$100.0 $100.0

-18.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$120 $120

-34.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,297

$2,160 $2,160

-42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$1,819 $1,819

-59.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,191

$2,248 $2,248

5.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,697

$2,258 $2,258

-39.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

$4,063 $4,063

-84.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.81

23.05%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Elgin, IL

$361 34.8% 58.4% $133

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Elgin, IL

$301 29% 137% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Elgin, IL

$138 13.3% 24.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Elgin, IL

$195 18.7% 80.3% $87

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.3% 71.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 36.5% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Lima vs $59 in Elgin, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $361 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

112,603

💱 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 Elgin, IL 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 84% 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $34 versus $59 in Elgin, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $309 in Lima versus $1,634 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Elgin, IL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.