Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Merrillville, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,725 in Merrillville, IN, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Lima versus $2,725 in Merrillville, IN.

Lima $1,042
Merrillville, IN $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Lima versus $3,722 in Merrillville, IN.

Lima $1,651
Merrillville, IN $3,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Lima versus $4,719 in Merrillville, IN.

Lima $2,259
Merrillville, IN $4,719

Living in Lima costs roughly 62% less than in Merrillville, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 23% below, Merrillville, IN is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 PEN 15.95

$15.29 $15.29

-69.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.34 PEN 118

$55.2 $55.2

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.12

$9.14 $9.14

-23.30%

Cappuccino

$3.22 PEN 11.09

$1.98 $1.98

62.63%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$1.49 $1.49

-24.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$2.32 $2.32

-73.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PEN 10.07

$4.48 $4.48

-34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 PEN 14.63

$6.13 $6.13

-30.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$0.77 $0.77

105.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.98

$3.08 $3.08

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$4.60 $4.60

-71.74%

Eggs

$2.92 PEN 10.04

$4.61 $4.61

-36.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 PEN 32.82

$11.23 $11.23

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 PEN 19.66

$9.28 $9.28

-38.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 PEN 32.57

$21.61 $21.61

-56.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.91

$5.99 $5.99

-66.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$4.54 $4.54

-68.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$5.48 $5.48

-72.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$3.73 $3.73

-75.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$4.37 $4.37

-79.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.97

$2.38 $2.38

-63.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

$1.23 $1.23

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 PEN 18.83

$11.43 $11.43

-52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 PEN 34.99

$11.82 $11.82

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 PEN 6.21

$2.01 $2.01

-9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 PEN 10.83

$3.56 $3.56

-11.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$1.77 $1.77

-62.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.89 PEN 110

$67.1 $67.1

-52.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.79

$5.10 $5.10

-32.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 PEN 6.80

$1.82 $1.82

8.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 PEN 33.03

$49.04 $49.04

-80.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$0.98 $0.98

74.49%

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

$21.9K PEN 75.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

-20.10%

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

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

$26.5K $26.5K

9.43%

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

$65.8 PEN 227

$258 $258

-74.52%

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

$15.26 PEN 52.5

$55.0 $55.0

-72.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 PEN 92.5

$55.2 $55.2

-51.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 PEN 113

$36.74 $36.74

-10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 PEN 24.49

$15.02 $15.02

-52.60%

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

$309 PEN 1,063

$1,347 $1,347

-77.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

$15.9K $15.9K

34.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 PEN 179

$54.4 $54.4

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 PEN 123

$40.53 $40.53

-11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 PEN 281

$107 $107

-23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 PEN 268

$93.8 $93.8

-16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 PEN 2,501

$1,753 $1,753

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 PEN 1,284

$1,457 $1,457

-74.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 PEN 4,296

$2,325 $2,325

-46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 PEN 2,543

$2,052 $2,052

-63.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,380 PEN 8,190

$3,169 $3,169

-24.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 PEN 4,696

$2,247 $2,247

-39.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,237

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

6.66

25.83%

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

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Last update for Merrillville, IN: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$373 35.8%

Merrillville, IN

$1.5K 53.5% 291% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$228 21.9%

Merrillville, IN

$387 14.2% 69.8% $159

Eating Out

Lima

$127 12.2%

Merrillville, IN

$223 8.2% 76% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$111 10.7%

Merrillville, IN

$133 4.9% 19.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$108 10.4%

Merrillville, IN

$369 13.5% 241% $261

Getting Around

Lima

$48 4.6%

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.2% 84.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$47 4.5%

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.5% 41.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Lima and $1,753 in Merrillville, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34 in Lima vs $55 in Merrillville, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $387 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

36,444

💱 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 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 = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Merrillville, IN 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,042 in Lima and $2,725 in Merrillville, IN, so Lima is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,564 in Lima and $4,087 in Merrillville, IN to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $727 in Lima versus $1,753 in Merrillville, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Lima versus $1,347 in Merrillville, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,725 in Merrillville, IN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Merrillville, IN. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Merrillville, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.