Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,634 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
Learn more

Fort Madison, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Lima vs $2,634 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Lima $1,042
Fort Madison, IA $2,634

A couple spends around $1,651 per month in Lima vs $3,827 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Lima $1,651
Fort Madison, IA $3,827

A family of three spends $2,259 per month in Lima vs $5,019 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Lima $2,259
Fort Madison, IA $5,019

Lima is about 60% cheaper than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 23% below the global median, while Fort Madison, IA is 95% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$20.21 $20.21

-77.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$74.3 $74.3

-53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$11.33 $11.33

-38.13%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$5.42 $5.42

-40.59%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.63 $2.63

-57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$1.96 $1.96

-68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$5.86 $5.86

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$7.34 $7.34

-42.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$1.05 $1.05

50.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$3.53 $3.53

-26.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.47

$4.48 $4.48

-70.98%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.05

$4.27 $4.27

-31.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$12.72 $12.72

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$11.40 $11.40

-49.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.58

$17.19 $17.19

-44.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$5.18 $5.18

-61.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.65 $1.65

-38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$4.37 $4.37

-66.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$4.60 $4.60

-67.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$2.81 $2.81

-67.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.89 $2.89

-69.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.18 $2.18

-60.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.27 $2.27

-60.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$9.32 $9.32

-41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 35.00

$15.22 $15.22

-33.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$2.13 $2.13

-15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.84

$3.90 $3.90

-19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$2.02 $2.02

-67.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

$67.6 $67.6

-52.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.79

$3.73 $3.73

-8.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.74 $1.74

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.04

$27.85 $27.85

-65.53%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

-12.32%

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

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

$24.4K $24.4K

19.13%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$198 $198

-66.77%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$59.4 $59.4

-74.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$68.6 $68.6

-60.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$40.55 $40.55

-18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$14.14 $14.14

-49.65%

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

$309 PEN 1,064

$1,229 $1,229

-74.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$20.4K $20.4K

4.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$53.6 $53.6

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$42.01 $42.01

-15.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$90.1 $90.1

-9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$112 $112

-30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$1,580 $1,580

-54.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$1,292 $1,292

-71.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,297

$2,548 $2,548

-51.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,544

$2,071 $2,071

-64.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,191

$2,929 $2,929

-18.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,697

$2,599 $2,599

-47.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

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 Fort Madison, IA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 49% 246% $918

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$403 15.3% 76.6% $175

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Fort Madison, IA

$323 12.3% 155% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.1% 20.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Fort Madison, IA

$326 12.4% 202% $218

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$88 3.3% 84.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.6% 46% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Lima versus $1,580 in Fort Madison, IA. 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 $74 in Fort Madison, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $403 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

23:28 11:28 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

10,270

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Fort Madison, IA 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Fort Madison, 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 Fort Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,042 in Lima, $2,634 in Fort Madison, IA – Lima comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,564 per month in Lima and $3,951 in Fort Madison, IA. 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 $1,580 in Fort Madison, IA.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Fort Madison, IA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Lima and $74 in Fort Madison, IA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Fort Madison, IA at $2,634. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

For expats, Lima is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.