Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheldon, IA and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,449 in Sheldon, IA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Sheldon, IA
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Sheldon, IA Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Sheldon, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,449 in Sheldon, IA versus $1,042 in Lima.

Sheldon, IA $2,449
Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,667 in Sheldon, IA versus $1,651 in Lima.

Sheldon, IA $3,667
Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,885 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,259 in Lima.

Sheldon, IA $4,885
Lima $2,259

Living in Sheldon, IA is roughly 135% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sheldon, IA is 81% above, Lima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$4.64 PEN 15.95

328.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$34.34 PEN 118

130.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$7.01 PEN 24.12

41.37%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.22 PEN 11.09

81.99%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.13 PEN 3.90

187.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.61 PEN 2.09

281.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$2.93 PEN 10.08

142.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$4.25 PEN 14.63

90.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-43.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.61 PEN 8.98

41.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$1.30 PEN 4.47

401.54%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$2.92 PEN 10.05

-30.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$9.54 PEN 32.82

9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$5.71 PEN 19.66

134.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$9.47 PEN 32.58

-5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.01 PEN 6.91

193.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.02 PEN 3.52

31.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$1.45 PEN 4.99

286.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.49 PEN 5.14

244.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$0.91 PEN 3.14

392.31%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$0.89 PEN 3.07

362.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.86 PEN 2.97

133.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.89 PEN 3.06

197.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.05 $13.05

$5.47 PEN 18.83

138.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.01 $16.01

$10.17 PEN 35.00

57.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.81 PEN 6.21

60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.15 PEN 10.84

79.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.66 PEN 2.28

240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 $68.4

$31.89 PEN 110

114.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.43 PEN 11.79

44.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-15.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.22 $24.22

$9.60 PEN 33.04

152.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-36.84%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$21.9K PEN 75.3K

36.25%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$29.0K PEN 100.0K

-10.20%

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

$180 $180

$65.8 PEN 227

173.40%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$15.26 PEN 52.5

271.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$26.87 PEN 92.5

155.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 $39.51

$32.91 PEN 113

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$16.19 $16.19

$7.12 PEN 24.49

127.39%

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

$1,336 $1,336

$309 PEN 1,064

332.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

70.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$52.0 PEN 179

4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.15 $44.15

$35.69 PEN 123

23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$81.8 PEN 281

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$78.0 PEN 268

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 $1,399

$727 PEN 2,501

92.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 $1,100

$373 PEN 1,284

194.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,249 PEN 4,297

77.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 $1,908

$739 PEN 2,544

158.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,118 $3,118

$2,380 PEN 8,191

30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 $2,323

$1,365 PEN 4,697

70.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

8.38

-19.21%

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

Last update for Sheldon, IA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sheldon, IA

$1.1K 44.9%

Lima

$373 35.8% 66.1% $727

Groceries & Markets

Sheldon, IA

$410 16.7%

Lima

$228 21.9% 44.4% $182

Eating Out

Sheldon, IA

$333 13.6%

Lima

$127 12.2% 61.9% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sheldon, IA

$305 12.5%

Lima

$108 10.4% 64.6% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Sheldon, IA

$137 5.6%

Lima

$111 10.7% 18.8% $26

Getting Around

Sheldon, IA

$91 3.7%

Lima

$48 4.6% 47.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sheldon, IA

$72 2.9%

Lima

$47 4.5% 34.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,399 in Sheldon, IA and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Sheldon, IA vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sheldon, IA

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

1 h ahead of Sheldon, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,200

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 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

Sheldon, IA Lima 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sheldon, IA
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

Sheldon, IA vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,449 in Sheldon, IA and $1,042 in Lima, so Lima is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,673 in Sheldon, IA 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: $1,399 in Sheldon, IA versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,336 in Sheldon, IA 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 80% higher in Sheldon, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,449 in Sheldon, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Sheldon, IA. 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 57% less than in Sheldon, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.