Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reno, NV and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,930 in Reno, NV, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reno, NV
🇺🇸 United States
$2,930
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,930 in Reno, NV versus $996 in Lima.

  • Reno, NV $2,930
  • Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,241 in Reno, NV versus $1,594 in Lima.

  • Reno, NV $4,241
  • Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Reno, NV versus $2,191 in Lima.

  • Reno, NV $5,553
  • Lima $2,191

Living in Reno, NV is roughly 194% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reno, NV is 119% above, Lima is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.40 $26.40
$4.42 PEN 15.16
497.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.4 $86.4
$35.04 PEN 120
146.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.75 $12.75
$6.84 PEN 23.44
86.40%
Cappuccino
$5.36 $5.36
$3.27 PEN 11.22
63.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.10 PEN 3.78
149.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$0.65 PEN 2.22
204.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 $7.35
$2.58 PEN 8.85
184.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.48 $7.48
$4.47 PEN 15.34
67.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.59 PEN 5.46
-30.19%
White Bread (500g)
$4.00 $4.00
$2.58 PEN 8.86
55.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.04 $4.04
$1.36 PEN 4.65
197.06%
Eggs
$5.44 $5.44
$2.95 PEN 10.11
84.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.49 $11.49
$9.10 PEN 31.19
26.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$5.81 PEN 19.91
181.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.48 $23.48
$9.83 PEN 33.68
138.86%
Apples (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.01 PEN 6.89
124.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.08 PEN 3.69
31.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.02 $3.02
$1.37 PEN 4.70
120.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.89 $6.89
$1.48 PEN 5.06
365.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 $2.95
$0.96 PEN 3.30
207.29%
Onion (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.85 PEN 2.92
347.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 $2.67
$0.88 PEN 3.02
203.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$0.87 PEN 2.97
157.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.11 $10.11
$5.90 PEN 20.24
71.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 $12.77
$8.81 PEN 30.21
44.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.92 PEN 6.57
3.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 $3.64
$3.20 PEN 10.98
13.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$0.68 PEN 2.33
191.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.2 $64.2
$26.74 PEN 91.7
140.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.81 PEN 13.06
-1.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.04 PEN 7.00
25.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.63 $33.63
$7.14 PEN 24.49
371.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.65 PEN 5.65
-22.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.8K $37.8K
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
70.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
0.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 $178
$73.0 PEN 250
143.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$96.7 $96.7
$16.26 PEN 55.7
494.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.2 $90.2
$27.60 PEN 94.6
226.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.79 $39.79
$33.07 PEN 113
20.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.57 $15.57
$19.49 PEN 66.8
-20.11%
Cinema Ticket
$14.23 $14.23
$7.39 PEN 25.33
92.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,353 $1,353
$182 PEN 624
643.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.4K $27.4K
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
105.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$52.6 PEN 180
-0.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.49 $33.49
$34.23 PEN 117
-2.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 $75.0
$83.8 PEN 287
-10.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$79.0 PEN 271
84.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$723 PEN 2,479
163.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,413 $1,413
$340 PEN 1,166
315.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,141 $3,141
$1,184 PEN 4,060
165.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 $2,137
$635 PEN 2,176
236.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,391 $3,391
$2,449 PEN 8,394
38.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,633 $3,633
$1,372 PEN 4,702
164.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reno, NV
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,255 $4,255
$653 PEN 2,237
552.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
8.94
-23.71%

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

Last update for Reno, NV: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reno, NV
$1.4K
Lima
$340 75.9% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Reno, NV
$450
Lima
$226 49.7% $223
Eating Out
Reno, NV
$384
Lima
$124 67.7% $260
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reno, NV
$365
Lima
$117 67.9% $248
Clothing & Footwear
Reno, NV
$138
Lima
$112 18.7% $26
Getting Around
Reno, NV
$89
Lima
$43 51% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Reno, NV
$68
Lima
$48 29.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Reno, NV and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reno, NV pays 552% 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: $86.0 in Reno, NV vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Reno, NV
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
18:38 6:38 PM
20:38 8:38 PM
2 h ahead of Reno, NV
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
271,953
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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reno, NV Lima 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reno, NV
  • 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
Reno, NV vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Reno, NV and in Lima?
Reno, NV and Lima differ by about 194% in total monthly costs ($2,930 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Reno, NV or Lima?
Average pay runs 552% higher in Reno, NV, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Reno, NV and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Reno, NV versus $723 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 Reno, NV and Lima?
Childcare runs $1,353 in Reno, NV versus $182 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 99% higher in Reno, NV. 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 $996 in Lima versus $2,930 in Reno, NV, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Reno, NV. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Reno, NV 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: Reno, NV or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Reno, NV. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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