Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pharr, TX and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,656 in Pharr, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pharr, TX, United States
Lima, Peru
Pharr, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,656
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,042
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,656 in Pharr, TX versus $1,042 in Lima.

  • Pharr, TX $2,656
  • Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,879 in Pharr, TX versus $1,651 in Lima.

  • Pharr, TX $3,879
  • Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,101 in Pharr, TX versus $2,259 in Lima.

  • Pharr, TX $5,101
  • Lima $2,259

Living in Pharr, TX is roughly 155% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pharr, TX is 96% above, Lima is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.38 $19.38
$4.64 PEN 15.96
317.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.7 $74.7
$34.34 PEN 118
117.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.84 $10.84
$7.01 PEN 24.13
54.64%
Cappuccino
$5.12 $5.12
$3.22 PEN 11.09
59.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.13 PEN 3.90
127.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.61 PEN 2.09
229.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.88 $5.88
$2.93 PEN 10.08
100.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.91 $6.91
$4.25 PEN 14.64
62.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.58 PEN 5.44
-33.54%
White Bread (500g)
$3.60 $3.60
$2.61 PEN 8.98
37.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.24 $4.24
$1.30 PEN 4.47
226.15%
Eggs
$4.23 $4.23
$2.92 PEN 10.05
44.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.05 $12.05
$9.54 PEN 32.83
26.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.28 $11.28
$5.71 PEN 19.66
97.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.68 $15.68
$9.47 PEN 32.59
65.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$2.01 PEN 6.91
138.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.02 PEN 3.52
53.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.45 PEN 4.99
186.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 $4.73
$1.49 PEN 5.14
217.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$0.91 PEN 3.14
220.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$0.89 PEN 3.07
207.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.86 PEN 2.97
136.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$0.89 PEN 3.06
143.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.73 $9.73
$5.47 PEN 18.84
77.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.84 $13.84
$10.17 PEN 35.01
36.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.81 PEN 6.22
-2.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.15 PEN 10.84
4.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$0.66 PEN 2.28
196.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.9 $60.9
$31.89 PEN 110
90.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 $3.47
$3.43 PEN 11.80
1.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.98 PEN 6.80
-18.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.06 $29.06
$9.60 PEN 33.05
202.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.71 PEN 5.89
-47.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K $29.9K
$21.9K PEN 75.3K
36.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$29.0K PEN 100.0K
-11.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$65.8 PEN 227
184.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8 $51.8
$15.26 PEN 52.5
239.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.4 $67.4
$26.87 PEN 92.5
150.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.23 $43.23
$32.91 PEN 113
31.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.12 PEN 69.3
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.69 $13.69
$7.12 PEN 24.50
92.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,302 $1,302
$309 PEN 1,064
321.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K $23.6K
$21.4K PEN 73.5K
10.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.6 $50.6
$52.0 PEN 179
-2.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.09 $40.09
$35.69 PEN 123
12.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$81.8 PEN 282
6.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$78.0 PEN 268
44.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 $1,621
$727 PEN 2,502
122.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,373 $1,373
$373 PEN 1,284
268.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,677 $2,677
$1,249 PEN 4,298
114.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,262 $2,262
$739 PEN 2,544
205.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,720 $2,720
$2,380 PEN 8,193
14.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,486 $2,486
$1,365 PEN 4,698
82.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pharr, TX
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$650 PEN 2,238
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
8.38
-22.32%

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

Last update for Pharr, TX: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pharr, TX
$1.4K
Lima
$373 72.8% $1,000
Groceries & Markets
Pharr, TX
$385
Lima
$228 40.8% $157
Eating Out
Pharr, TX
$311
Lima
$127 59.1% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pharr, TX
$306
Lima
$108 64.8% $199
Clothing & Footwear
Pharr, TX
$131
Lima
$111 14.8% $19
Getting Around
Pharr, TX
$80
Lima
$48 40.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Pharr, TX
$71
Lima
$47 33.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Pharr, TX and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Pharr, TX vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Pharr, TX
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
17:02 5:02 PM
18:02 6:02 PM
1 h ahead of Pharr, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,360
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pharr, TX Lima 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pharr, TX
  • 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
Pharr, TX vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Pharr, TX and in Lima?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,656 in Pharr, TX and $1,042 in Lima, so Lima is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Pharr, TX compared to Lima?
You’d need roughly $3,985 in Pharr, TX 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Pharr, TX and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Pharr, TX versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Pharr, TX and Lima?
Childcare runs $1,302 in Pharr, TX versus $309 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Pharr, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,656 in Pharr, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Pharr, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Pharr, TX and Lima?
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.
Where should expats move: Pharr, TX or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Pharr, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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