$50K in St. Paul = $20,619 in Lima

Your $50K salary in St. Paul (COL 97) has the same purchasing power as $20,619 in Lima (COL 40). Lima is cheaper — your money goes 59% further there.

$50K in St. Paul, MN
$2,748/mo take-home
Rent: $1,500/mo (55% of take-home)
Difficult
$20,619/yr in Lima, PE
$1,406/mo take-home
Rent: $500/mo (36% of take-home)
Tight

Budget breakdown — $50K in both cities

What $50K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
St. Paul
$50K
Lima
$50K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,748$3,160
1BR rent$1,500$500
Groceries$384$380
Transport$95$150
Utilities$195$55
Internet$63$25
Left after essentials$511/month$2,050/month
To match your St. Paul purchasing power in Lima, you'd need to earn $20,619/year (59% less than $50K). At that salary, you'd have $296/mo left after essentials — vs $511/mo in St. Paul.

Frequently asked questions

What is $50K in St. Paul equivalent to in Lima?

$50K in St. Paul (COL index 97) has the same purchasing power as $20,619 in Lima (COL index 40). That's 59% less than your current salary.

If I move from St. Paul to Lima keeping my $50K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $50K after moving to Lima, you'd have $1,539 more per month after core expenses — because Lima is cheaper than St. Paul.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $50K × (40 ÷ 97) = $20,619. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Other salary amounts — St. Paul to Lima

$40K → $16,495$60K → $24,742$75K → $30,928$80K → $32,990$100K → $41,237$120K → $49,485$150K → $61,856
$50K in Lima → St. PaulMoving from St. Paul to LimaSt. Paul vs Lima — full comparisonCan I afford St. Paul vs Lima on $50K?

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow · BLS · Numbeo · Q1 2026 · For general guidance only