Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,740

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Salt Lake City, UT is roughly 175% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 $17.91

$4.42 PEN 15.16

305.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 $73.3

$35.04 PEN 120

109.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 $10.16

$6.84 PEN 23.44

48.54%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.27 PEN 11.22

56.57%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.10 PEN 3.78

107.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.65 PEN 2.22

164.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.58 PEN 8.85

134.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.47 PEN 15.34

78.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-44.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.58 PEN 8.86

51.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.36 PEN 4.65

208.82%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.95 PEN 10.11

40.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 $12.04

$9.10 PEN 31.19

32.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$5.81 PEN 19.91

114.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$9.83 PEN 33.68

78.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.01 PEN 6.89

98.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.08 PEN 3.69

32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.37 PEN 4.70

161.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.48 PEN 5.06

175.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.96 PEN 3.30

131.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.85 PEN 2.92

192.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.88 PEN 3.02

119.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.87 PEN 2.97

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.90 PEN 20.24

70.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.81 PEN 30.21

67.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.92 PEN 6.57

40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.20 PEN 10.98

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.68 PEN 2.33

257.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.7 $83.7

$26.74 PEN 91.7

212.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.81 PEN 13.06

-35.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.04 PEN 7.00

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.47 $25.47

$7.14 PEN 24.49

256.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-29.09%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

68.15%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

-0.78%

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

$191 $191

$73.0 PEN 250

161.71%

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

$48.41 $48.41

$16.26 PEN 55.7

197.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.2 $78.2

$27.60 PEN 94.6

183.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.17 $34.17

$33.07 PEN 113

3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.04 $27.04

$19.49 PEN 66.8

38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$7.39 PEN 25.33

104.19%

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

$1,316 $1,316

$182 PEN 624

622.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

54.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$52.6 PEN 180

34.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 $45.22

$34.23 PEN 117

32.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$83.8 PEN 287

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$79.0 PEN 271

35.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$723 PEN 2,479

125.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$340 PEN 1,166

302.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,889 $2,889

$1,184 PEN 4,060

143.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$635 PEN 2,176

237.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,154 $4,154

$2,449 PEN 8,394

69.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,972 $2,972

$1,372 PEN 4,702

116.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,304 $4,304

$653 PEN 2,237

559.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.94

-27.74%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: 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

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9%

Lima

$340 33.6% 75.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$387 14.4%

Lima

$226 22.4% 41.5% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$318 11.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 63.2% $201

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$297 11%

Lima

$124 12.3% 58.3% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$150 5.6%

Lima

$112 11.1% 25.1% $38

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$107 4%

Lima

$43 4.3% 59.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4%

Lima

$48 4.7% 25.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT and $723 in Lima. 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: $73.0 in Salt Lake City, UT vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 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 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).

PEN to USD in detail →

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

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
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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

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

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

Average pay runs 560% higher in Salt Lake City, UT, 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: $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,316 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 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, Salt Lake City, UT and Lima 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.