Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Fargo, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,137 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lima, Peru
Fargo, ND, United States
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,042
/mo nomad
Fargo, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,137
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $2,137 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Lima $1,042
  • Fargo, ND $2,137

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $3,313 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Lima $1,651
  • Fargo, ND $3,313

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $4,490 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Lima $2,259
  • Fargo, ND $4,490

Lima is about 51% cheaper than Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lima sits 23% below the global median, while Fargo, ND is 58% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64 PEN 15.96
$16.07 $16.07
-71.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.34 PEN 118
$60.2 $60.2
-42.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.01 PEN 24.13
$12.82 $12.82
-45.32%
Cappuccino
$3.22 PEN 11.09
$5.14 $5.14
-37.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 PEN 3.90
$2.59 $2.59
-56.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 PEN 2.09
$1.98 $1.98
-69.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.93 PEN 10.08
$4.96 $4.96
-40.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 PEN 14.64
$9.24 $9.24
-54.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 PEN 5.44
$1.23 $1.23
28.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 PEN 8.98
$3.42 $3.42
-23.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.30 PEN 4.47
$7.43 $7.43
-82.50%
Eggs
$2.92 PEN 10.05
$3.97 $3.97
-26.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 PEN 32.83
$14.56 $14.56
-34.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.71 PEN 19.66
$15.28 $15.28
-62.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.47 PEN 32.59
$21.77 $21.77
-56.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.91
$10.54 $10.54
-80.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 PEN 3.52
$2.52 $2.52
-59.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 PEN 4.99
$6.60 $6.60
-78.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 PEN 5.14
$5.43 $5.43
-72.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 PEN 3.14
$4.95 $4.95
-81.62%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$3.75 $3.75
-76.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.86 PEN 2.97
$2.02 $2.02
-57.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.06
$2.73 $2.73
-67.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 PEN 18.84
$8.86 $8.86
-38.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 PEN 35.01
$19.15 $19.15
-46.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 PEN 6.22
$2.59 $2.59
-30.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 PEN 10.84
$5.53 $5.53
-43.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.66 PEN 2.28
$1.97 $1.97
-66.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.89 PEN 110
$41.49 $41.49
-23.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 PEN 11.80
$4.37 $4.37
-21.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 PEN 6.80
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.60 PEN 33.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 PEN 5.89
$1.00 $1.00
71.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K PEN 75.3K
$26.8K $26.8K
-18.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.0K PEN 100.0K
$25.6K $25.6K
13.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.8 PEN 227
$135 $135
-51.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.26 PEN 52.5
$56.2 $56.2
-72.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.87 PEN 92.5
$56.5 $56.5
-52.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.91 PEN 113
$51.7 $51.7
-36.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.12 PEN 69.3
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 PEN 24.50
$14.01 $14.01
-49.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$309 PEN 1,064
$1,222 $1,222
-74.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K PEN 73.5K
$11.0K $11.0K
93.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 PEN 179
$50.3 $50.3
3.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.69 PEN 123
$45.87 $45.87
-22.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.8 PEN 282
$83.9 $83.9
-2.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 PEN 268
$102 $102
-23.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$727 PEN 2,502
$966 $966
-24.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 PEN 1,284
$814 $814
-54.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 PEN 4,298
$2,233 $2,233
-44.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 PEN 2,544
$1,548 $1,548
-52.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,380 PEN 8,193
$2,392 $2,392
-0.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,365 PEN 4,698
$1,697 $1,697
-19.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Fargo, ND
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$650 PEN 2,238
$3,827 $3,827
-83.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.38
6.43
30.33%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$373
Fargo, ND
$814 118% $441
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$228
Fargo, ND
$524 130% $296
Eating Out
Lima
$127
Fargo, ND
$290 129% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$111
Fargo, ND
$127 13.9% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$108
Fargo, ND
$247 129% $140
Getting Around
Lima
$48
Fargo, ND
$54 * 12.3% $5.9
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$47
Fargo, ND
$80 69.1% $33

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 $966 in Fargo, ND. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fargo, ND 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 $60 in Fargo, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $524 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇺🇸 Fargo, ND
🕒 Local time
18:53 6:53 PM
17:53 5:53 PM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
90,056
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Fargo, ND 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Fargo, ND?
Fargo, ND costs about 105% 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 Fargo, ND?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,564 per month in Lima and $3,205 in Fargo, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lima or Fargo, ND?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $727 there versus $966 in Fargo, ND.
How do dining costs compare in Lima and in Fargo, ND?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima and $60 in Fargo, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Lima compared to Fargo, ND?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $2,137 in Fargo, ND. That makes Lima about 51% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lima or in Fargo, ND?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Fargo, ND at $2,137. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lima or Fargo, ND?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,042 versus $2,137 in Fargo, ND. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Lima or to Fargo, ND?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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