Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Helena, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Helena, MT

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 Helena, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $3,107 in Helena, MT.

Lima $996
Helena, MT $3,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $4,494 in Helena, MT.

Lima $1,594
Helena, MT $4,494

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $5,882 in Helena, MT.

Lima $2,191
Helena, MT $5,882

Living in Lima costs roughly 68% less than in Helena, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Helena, MT is 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$21.52 $21.52

-79.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$101 $101

-65.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$17.96 $17.96

-61.92%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$4.99 $4.99

-34.47%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$2.21 $2.21

-50.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$1.72 $1.72

-62.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$4.92 $4.92

-47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$6.83 $6.83

-34.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.07 $1.07

48.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$3.71 $3.71

-30.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$4.45 $4.45

-69.44%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$3.76 $3.76

-21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$17.68 $17.68

-48.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$8.78 $8.78

-33.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$20.13 $20.13

-51.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$4.58 $4.58

-56.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.82 $1.82

-40.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$4.62 $4.62

-70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$3.98 $3.98

-62.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$2.15 $2.15

-55.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.54 $1.54

-44.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.65 $1.65

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.56 $1.56

-44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$10.39 $10.39

-43.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$12.78 $12.78

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.69 $1.69

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.49 $2.49

28.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$3.58 $3.58

-81.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$59.2 $59.2

-54.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$10.03 $10.03

-62.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$3.33 $3.33

-38.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$44.80 $44.80

-84.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$0.99 $0.99

66.67%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-38.51%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-17.45%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$369 $369

-80.22%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$68.1 $68.1

-76.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$93.0 $93.0

-70.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$52.0 $52.0

-36.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$14.90 $14.90

30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$12.19 $12.19

-39.38%

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

$182 PEN 624

$1,962 $1,962

-90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

-51.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$65.4 $65.4

-19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$120 $120

-71.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$81.0 $81.0

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$121 $121

-34.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$1,756 $1,756

-58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$1,547 $1,547

-78.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$2,940 $2,940

-59.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$2,450 $2,450

-74.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$3,548 $3,548

-30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$2,944 $2,944

-53.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$6,710 $6,710

-90.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

6.56

36.28%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Helena, MT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1% 355% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Helena, MT

$384 12.2% 69.7% $158

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Helena, MT

$340 10.8% 174% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Helena, MT

$530 16.8% 354% $413

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Helena, MT

$175 5.5% 55.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Helena, MT

$76 2.4% 59.7% $29

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Helena, MT

$100 3.2% 131% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 928% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $101 in Helena, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $384 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

22:55 10:55 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

32,091

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Helena, MT 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Helena, MT

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 Helena, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Helena, MT differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $3,107 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 928% lower in Helena, MT. 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: $723 in Lima versus $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $1,962 in Helena, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $3,107 in Helena, MT, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. 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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Helena, MT are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Helena, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.