Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Lima vs $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Lima $1,014
Las Cruces, NM $2,067

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Lima vs $3,132 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Lima $1,613
Las Cruces, NM $3,132

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Lima vs $4,196 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Lima $2,211
Las Cruces, NM $4,196

Lima is about 51% cheaper than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima sits 25% below the global median, while Las Cruces, NM is 53% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$17.34 $17.34

-74.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$45.20 $45.20

-23.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$12.15 $12.15

-44.03%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$5.78 $5.78

-42.91%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$2.40 $2.40

-55.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$2.17 $2.17

-69.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$6.31 $6.31

-59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$9.13 $9.13

-53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$0.77 $0.77

105.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$3.60 $3.60

-27.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$3.76 $3.76

-64.36%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$4.72 $4.72

-37.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$13.56 $13.56

-30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$12.04 $12.04

-52.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$17.48 $17.48

-44.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$4.37 $4.37

-53.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$2.11 $2.11

-49.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$3.39 $3.39

-59.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$3.87 $3.87

-62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$2.36 $2.36

-59.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$2.37 $2.37

-61.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.80 $1.80

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$1.84 $1.84

-51.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$11.02 $11.02

-47.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$15.10 $15.10

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$2.46 $2.46

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$3.51 $3.51

-11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.99 $0.99

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

$38.50 $38.50

-32.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$2.35 $2.35

50.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$2.32 $2.32

-10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$0.98 $0.98

74.49%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$27.8K $27.8K

-22.28%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

19.81%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$176 $176

-61.29%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$57.0 $57.0

-72.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$87.4 $87.4

-69.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$50.2 $50.2

-32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$10.89 $10.89

84.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$10.09 $10.09

-28.44%

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

$201 PEN 689

$683 $683

-70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$58.2 $58.2

-7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$31.55 $31.55

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$84.7 $84.7

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$102 $102

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$966 $966

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$794 $794

-56.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$1,725 $1,725

-31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$1,532 $1,532

-54.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$2,121 $2,121

11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$1,971 $1,971

-31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

$3,589 $3,589

-81.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

6.36

38.05%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$794 38.4% 128% $446

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$389 18.8% 71.1% $162

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$313 15.1% 153% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6% 9.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Las Cruces, NM

$320 15.5% 190% $210

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Las Cruces, NM

$70 3.4% 45.4% $22

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$56 2.7% 31.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Lima versus $966 in Las Cruces, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 441% higher in Las Cruces, NM, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $45.00 in Las Cruces, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $389 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

00:20 12:20 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

111,385

💱 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Las Cruces, NM 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM costs about 104% more than Lima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Lima and $3,101 in Las Cruces, NM. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Lima and $683 in Las Cruces, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Las Cruces, NM, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Las Cruces, NM at $2,067. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Las Cruces, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lima costs $1,014 versus $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.