Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Lima $996
Salt Lake City, UT $2,740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $3,899 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Lima $1,594
Salt Lake City, UT $3,899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $5,058 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Lima $2,191
Salt Lake City, UT $5,058

Living in Lima costs roughly 64% less than in Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Salt Lake City, UT is 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$17.91 $17.91

-75.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$73.3 $73.3

-52.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$10.16 $10.16

-32.68%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$5.12 $5.12

-36.13%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$2.28 $2.28

-51.75%

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

$6.06 $6.06

-57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$7.97 $7.97

-43.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$0.89 $0.89

78.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$3.92 $3.92

-34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$4.20 $4.20

-67.62%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$4.14 $4.14

-28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$12.04 $12.04

-24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$12.45 $12.45

-53.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$17.55 $17.55

-43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$3.98 $3.98

-49.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.43 $1.43

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$3.58 $3.58

-61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$4.07 $4.07

-63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$2.22 $2.22

-56.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$2.49 $2.49

-65.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.93 $1.93

-54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.86 $1.86

-53.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$10.06 $10.06

-41.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$14.72 $14.72

-40.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$2.69 $2.69

-28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$3.40 $3.40

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.43 $2.43

-72.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$83.7 $83.7

-68.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$2.44 $2.44

56.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$2.28 $2.28

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$25.47 $25.47

-71.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.17 $1.17

41.03%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$37.3K $37.3K

-40.53%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

0.79%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$191 $191

-61.79%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$48.41 $48.41

-66.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$78.2 $78.2

-64.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$34.17 $34.17

-3.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$27.04 $27.04

-27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$15.09 $15.09

-51.03%

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

$182 PEN 624

$1,316 $1,316

-86.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$20.6K $20.6K

-35.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$70.7 $70.7

-25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$45.22 $45.22

-24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$110 $110

-23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$107 $107

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$1,632 $1,632

-55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$1,371 $1,371

-75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$2,889 $2,889

-59.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$2,141 $2,141

-70.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$4,154 $4,154

-41.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$2,972 $2,972

-53.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$4,304 $4,304

-84.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

6.46

38.39%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9% 303% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$387 14.4% 70.9% $161

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Salt Lake City, UT

$297 11% 140% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Salt Lake City, UT

$318 11.8% 172% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Salt Lake City, UT

$150 5.6% 33.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4% 34.5% $16

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Salt Lake City, UT

$107 4% 147% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 560% 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 $73.0 in Salt Lake City, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $387 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

200,133

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Lima Salt Lake City, UT 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Salt Lake City, UT differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $2,740 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 560% lower in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $1,316 in Salt Lake City, UT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Salt Lake City, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 Salt Lake City, UT 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 175% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.