Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monticello, AR and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,364 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, AR Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,364

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monticello, AR and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monticello, AR and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,364 in Monticello, AR versus $1,042 in Lima.

Monticello, AR $2,364
Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,469 in Monticello, AR versus $1,651 in Lima.

Monticello, AR $3,469
Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,575 in Monticello, AR versus $2,259 in Lima.

Monticello, AR $4,575
Lima $2,259

Living in Monticello, AR is roughly 127% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monticello, AR is 75% above, Lima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 $18.05

$4.64 PEN 15.95

289.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$34.34 PEN 118

119.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$7.01 PEN 24.12

70.90%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$3.22 PEN 11.09

70.81%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.13 PEN 3.90

116.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.61 PEN 2.09

236.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$2.93 PEN 10.07

146.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.25 PEN 14.63

84.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-39.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.61 PEN 8.98

-54.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.30 PEN 4.46

53.85%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$2.92 PEN 10.04

31.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 $8.92

$9.54 PEN 32.82

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$5.71 PEN 19.66

16.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$9.47 PEN 32.57

-5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.01 PEN 6.91

72.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.02 PEN 3.52

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.45 PEN 4.99

93.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.49 PEN 5.14

40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$0.91 PEN 3.14

256.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.89 PEN 3.07

160.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.86 PEN 2.97

123.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.89 PEN 3.05

146.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.40 $9.40

$5.47 PEN 18.83

71.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.17 PEN 34.99

26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.81 PEN 6.21

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.15 PEN 10.83

-30.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.66 PEN 2.28

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$31.89 PEN 110

85.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.43 PEN 11.79

-41.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-42.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.07 $20.07

$9.60 PEN 33.03

109.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-44.44%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$21.9K PEN 75.2K

28.77%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

-7.10%

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

$184 $184

$65.8 PEN 227

179.28%

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

$39.85 $39.85

$15.26 PEN 52.5

161.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.17 $45.17

$26.87 PEN 92.5

68.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 $39.34

$32.91 PEN 113

19.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 $11.14

$7.12 PEN 24.49

56.46%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$309 PEN 1,063

283.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

23.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.32 $24.32

$52.0 PEN 179

-53.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.36 $31.36

$35.69 PEN 123

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 $70.6

$81.8 PEN 281

-13.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$78.0 PEN 268

98.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$727 PEN 2,501

121.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 $1,251

$373 PEN 1,284

235.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 $2,890

$1,249 PEN 4,296

131.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$739 PEN 2,543

183.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 $2,998

$2,380 PEN 8,190

25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,623 $2,623

$1,365 PEN 4,696

92.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,237

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

8.38

-21.24%

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

Last update for Monticello, AR: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 52.9%

Lima

$373 35.8% 70.2% $878

Eating Out

Monticello, AR

$316 13.4%

Lima

$127 12.2% 59.9% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monticello, AR

$269 11.4%

Lima

$108 10.4% 59.8% $161

Groceries & Markets

Monticello, AR

$266 11.3%

Lima

$228 21.9% 14.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Monticello, AR

$126 5.4%

Lima

$111 10.7% 11.9% $15

Getting Around

Monticello, AR

$74 3.1%

Lima

$48 4.6% 35.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Monticello, AR

$62 2.6%

Lima

$47 4.5% 23.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Monticello, AR and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Monticello, AR vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h ahead of Monticello, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,414

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monticello, AR Lima 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Monticello, AR
Lima

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

Monticello, AR vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,364 in Monticello, AR and $1,042 in Lima, so Lima is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,546 in Monticello, AR and $1,564 in Lima 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: $1,608 in Monticello, AR versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Monticello, AR versus $309 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Monticello, AR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,364 in Monticello, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Monticello, AR. 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 56% less than in Monticello, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.