Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waukegan, IL and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,042 a month against $2,665 in Waukegan, IL, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Waukegan, IL
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Waukegan, IL Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Waukegan, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,665

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,665 in Waukegan, IL versus $1,042 in Lima.

Waukegan, IL $2,665
Lima $1,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Waukegan, IL versus $1,651 in Lima.

Waukegan, IL $3,853
Lima $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,041 in Waukegan, IL versus $2,259 in Lima.

Waukegan, IL $5,041
Lima $2,259

Living in Waukegan, IL is roughly 156% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Waukegan, IL is 97% above, Lima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.29 $19.29

$4.64 PEN 15.95

315.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$34.34 PEN 118

116.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$7.01 PEN 24.12

59.34%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$3.22 PEN 11.09

61.49%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.13 PEN 3.90

119.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.61 PEN 2.09

222.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.93 PEN 10.07

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.25 PEN 14.63

67.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-36.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.61 PEN 8.98

36.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.30 PEN 4.46

235.38%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$2.92 PEN 10.04

41.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.54 PEN 32.82

30.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$5.71 PEN 19.66

101.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$9.47 PEN 32.57

65.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.01 PEN 6.91

146.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.02 PEN 3.52

58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.45 PEN 4.99

191.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.49 PEN 5.14

206.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.91 PEN 3.14

203.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.89 PEN 3.07

220.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.86 PEN 2.97

141.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.89 PEN 3.05

142.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.76 $9.76

$5.47 PEN 18.83

78.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 $13.76

$10.17 PEN 34.99

35.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.81 PEN 6.21

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.15 PEN 10.83

8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.66 PEN 2.28

210.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 $59.6

$31.89 PEN 110

86.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.43 PEN 11.79

2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.98 PEN 6.80

-19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 $28.86

$9.60 PEN 33.03

200.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-51.46%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$21.9K PEN 75.2K

36.99%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$29.0K PEN 99.9K

-13.23%

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

$189 $189

$65.8 PEN 227

187.65%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$15.26 PEN 52.5

244.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$26.87 PEN 92.5

154.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.74 $43.74

$32.91 PEN 113

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 PEN 69.2

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 $13.32

$7.12 PEN 24.49

87.08%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$309 PEN 1,063

320.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$21.4K PEN 73.5K

7.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.0 PEN 179

-2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.45 $40.45

$35.69 PEN 123

13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$81.8 PEN 281

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$78.0 PEN 268

40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$727 PEN 2,501

120.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$373 PEN 1,284

268.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 $2,633

$1,249 PEN 4,296

110.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$739 PEN 2,543

197.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,820 $2,820

$2,380 PEN 8,190

18.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,459 $2,459

$1,365 PEN 4,696

80.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,237

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 Waukegan, IL: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waukegan, IL

$1.4K 51.7%

Lima

$373 35.8% 72.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Waukegan, IL

$388 14.6%

Lima

$228 21.9% 41.2% $160

Eating Out

Waukegan, IL

$311 11.7%

Lima

$127 12.2% 59.3% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waukegan, IL

$310 11.7%

Lima

$108 10.4% 65.2% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Waukegan, IL

$129 4.8%

Lima

$111 10.7% 13.5% $17

Getting Around

Waukegan, IL

$79 3%

Lima

$48 4.6% 39.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Waukegan, IL

$70 2.6%

Lima

$47 4.5% 33% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Waukegan, IL and $727 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Waukegan, IL vs $34 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $228 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waukegan, IL

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

08:57 8:57 AM

1 h ahead of Waukegan, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,321

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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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Waukegan, IL Lima 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Waukegan, IL
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

Waukegan, IL vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,665 in Waukegan, IL and $1,042 in Lima, so Lima is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,997 in Waukegan, IL 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: $1,602 in Waukegan, IL versus $727 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Waukegan, IL 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 70% higher in Waukegan, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,042 in Lima versus $2,665 in Waukegan, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Waukegan, IL. 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 61% less than in Waukegan, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.