Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Rancho, NM and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $2,655 in Rio Rancho, NM, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Rio Rancho, NM
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Rio Rancho, NM Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,655 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $996 in Lima.

Rio Rancho, NM $2,655
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $1,594 in Lima.

Rio Rancho, NM $3,845
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,035 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $2,191 in Lima.

Rio Rancho, NM $5,035
Lima $2,191

Living in Rio Rancho, NM is roughly 166% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio Rancho, NM is 98% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 $17.11

$4.42 PEN 15.21

287.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$35.04 PEN 121

124.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$6.84 PEN 23.53

74.71%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$3.27 PEN 11.26

74.62%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$1.10 PEN 3.80

159.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.65 PEN 2.23

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.58 PEN 8.88

131.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$4.47 PEN 15.39

54.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.59 PEN 5.48

-35.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.58 PEN 8.89

27.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.36 PEN 4.67

222.06%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.95 PEN 10.15

42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 $12.03

$9.10 PEN 31.30

32.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$5.81 PEN 19.99

244.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.53 $18.53

$9.83 PEN 33.81

88.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.01 PEN 6.92

166.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.08 PEN 3.70

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.37 PEN 4.72

190.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.48 PEN 5.08

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.96 PEN 3.32

13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$0.85 PEN 2.93

295.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.88 PEN 3.03

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.87 PEN 2.98

195.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.46 $10.46

$5.90 PEN 20.31

77.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.01 $16.01

$8.81 PEN 30.31

81.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.92 PEN 6.59

7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.20 PEN 11.02

14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.68 PEN 2.33

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 $50.4

$26.74 PEN 92.0

88.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.81 PEN 13.11

-20.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 $0.71

$2.04 PEN 7.03

-65.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.87 $31.87

$7.14 PEN 24.58

346.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.65 PEN 5.67

-38.18%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

36.74%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

-4.79%

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

$166 $166

$73.0 PEN 251

127.29%

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

$44.09 $44.09

$16.26 PEN 56.0

171.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$27.60 PEN 95.0

164.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 $41.16

$33.07 PEN 114

24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 $17.88

$7.39 PEN 25.42

141.95%

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

$1,331 $1,331

$182 PEN 626

631.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K $11.2K

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

-15.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$52.6 PEN 181

2.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 $58.1

$34.23 PEN 118

69.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$83.8 PEN 288

-6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$79.0 PEN 272

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$723 PEN 2,488

119.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$340 PEN 1,170

280.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$1,184 PEN 4,075

109.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$635 PEN 2,184

242.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 $2,539

$2,449 PEN 8,424

3.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,372 PEN 4,719

75.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,376 $6,376

$653 PEN 2,245

877.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.94

-26.51%

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

Last update for Rio Rancho, NM: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Rancho, NM

$1.3K 49.7%

Lima

$340 33.6% 73.7% $955

Groceries & Markets

Rio Rancho, NM

$442 17%

Lima

$226 22.4% 48.8% $215

Eating Out

Rio Rancho, NM

$306 11.7%

Lima

$124 12.3% 59.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Rancho, NM

$283 10.9%

Lima

$117 11.6% 58.7% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Rancho, NM

$138 5.3%

Lima

$112 11.1% 18.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Rancho, NM

$77 3%

Lima

$48 4.7% 37.8% $29

Getting Around

Rio Rancho, NM

$65 2.5%

Lima

$43 4.3% 32.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,590 in Rio Rancho, NM and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio Rancho, NM pays 877% 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: $79.0 in Rio Rancho, NM vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $442 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rio Rancho, NM

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

1 h ahead of Rio Rancho, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,660

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 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 October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio Rancho, NM Lima 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio Rancho, NM
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

Rio Rancho, NM vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio Rancho, NM and Lima differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,655 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 877% higher in Rio Rancho, NM, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,590 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,331 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Rio Rancho, NM. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $2,655 in Rio Rancho, NM, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Rio Rancho, NM. 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 166% less than in Rio Rancho, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.