Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,239 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
Learn more

Iowa City, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $2,239 in Iowa City, IA.

Lima $1,042
Iowa City, IA $2,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $3,243 in Iowa City, IA.

Lima $1,651
Iowa City, IA $3,243

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $4,246 in Iowa City, IA.

Lima $2,259
Iowa City, IA $4,246

Living in Lima costs roughly 53% less than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 23% below, Iowa City, IA is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$14.86 $14.86

-68.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$64.9 $64.9

-47.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$9.02 $9.02

-22.28%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$5.72 $5.72

-43.71%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.78 $2.78

-59.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$2.22 $2.22

-72.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.07

$5.04 $5.04

-41.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$6.97 $6.97

-39.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$0.96 $0.96

64.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$2.75 $2.75

-5.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$2.02 $2.02

-35.64%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.04

$3.68 $3.68

-20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$9.22 $9.22

3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$10.48 $10.48

-45.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.57

$20.19 $20.19

-53.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$3.40 $3.40

-40.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.15 $1.15

-11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$2.66 $2.66

-45.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$4.68 $4.68

-68.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.98 $1.98

-54.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.35 $2.35

-62.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$1.70 $1.70

-49.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

$2.34 $2.34

-61.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$9.65 $9.65

-43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 34.99

$13.30 $13.30

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$1.75 $1.75

3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.83

$4.28 $4.28

-26.40%

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

$3.91 $3.91

-12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$2.05 $2.05

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.03

$43.91 $43.91

-78.14%

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 75.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

-19.65%

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

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

10.93%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$271 $271

-75.67%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$46.61 $46.61

-67.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$80.8 $80.8

-66.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$29.52 $29.52

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

$20.31 $20.31

-0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$13.83 $13.83

-48.52%

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

$309 PEN 1,063

$1,287 $1,287

-75.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$14.7K $14.7K

45.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$63.9 $63.9

-18.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$47.41 $47.41

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$98.3 $98.3

-16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$116 $116

-32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$1,302 $1,302

-44.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$1,002 $1,002

-62.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,296

$1,906 $1,906

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,543

$1,638 $1,638

-54.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,190

$3,489 $3,489

-31.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,696

$1,843 $1,843

-25.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,237

$3,887 $3,887

-83.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.45

29.92%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.7% 169% $629

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Iowa City, IA

$348 15.5% 52.6% $120

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Iowa City, IA

$274 12.2% 116% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 31.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Iowa City, IA

$398 17.8% 269% $290

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 70.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Iowa City, IA

$57 2.6% 21.3% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Lima and $1,302 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Lima vs $65 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $348 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

74,828

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Iowa City, IA 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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 $1,302 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Lima versus $1,287 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $34 versus $65 in Iowa City, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,239 in Iowa City, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lima wins on affordability, Iowa City, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.