Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajijic and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,267 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ajijic outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

Jump to prices

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,267

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Ajijic vs $1,012 in Lima, rent included.

Ajijic $1,267
Lima $1,012

A couple spends around $2,020 per month in Ajijic vs $1,589 in Lima, rent included.

Ajijic $2,020
Lima $1,589

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Ajijic vs $2,167 in Lima, rent included.

Ajijic $2,773
Lima $2,167

Ajijic costs about 25% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ajijic and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Ajijic 6% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 MX$181

$4.40 PEN 15.10

122.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.69 MX$807

$35.17 PEN 121

24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 MX$133

$6.89 PEN 23.65

4.79%

Cappuccino

$3.47 MX$64.1

$3.26 PEN 11.20

6.44%

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

$1.60 MX$29.62

$1.12 PEN 3.84

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.92

$0.62 PEN 2.11

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$2.65 PEN 9.09

-15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.4

$4.41 PEN 15.15

-24.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.52

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$19.78

$1.35 PEN 4.65

-20.74%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$40.54

$2.90 PEN 9.96

-24.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$145

$8.85 PEN 30.38

-11.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 MX$158

$5.98 PEN 20.52

43.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MX$133

$9.78 PEN 33.59

-26.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.42

$2.05 PEN 7.02

12.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.42

$1.06 PEN 3.66

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.42

$1.35 PEN 4.64

9.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.66

$1.50 PEN 5.15

14.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$29.60

$0.88 PEN 3.03

81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.57

$0.92 PEN 3.15

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$19.03

$0.89 PEN 3.07

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.55

$0.90 PEN 3.10

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$82.7

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 MX$165

$8.52 PEN 29.26

4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.60

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.61

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.84

$0.68 PEN 2.33

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MX$23.18

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$2.02 PEN 6.93

117.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.00 MX$203

$7.11 PEN 24.41

54.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.50

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-13.37%

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

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

-6.24%

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

$24.2K MX$447.2K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

-5.10%

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

$55.9 MX$1,033

$73.1 PEN 251

-23.50%

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

$14.30 MX$264

$16.35 PEN 56.2

-12.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.07 MX$445

$27.47 PEN 94.3

-12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 MX$448

$31.90 PEN 110

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.42 MX$100

$19.41 PEN 66.7

-72.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MX$88.3

$7.05 PEN 24.23

-32.20%

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

$212 MX$3,922

$182 PEN 627

16.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,953 MX$54.6K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

-77.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.03 MX$814

$53.8 PEN 185

-18.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.71 MX$309

$34.32 PEN 118

-51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 MX$1,270

$82.8 PEN 284

-17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MX$1,286

$78.2 PEN 269

-11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 MX$15.5K

$721 PEN 2,476

16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$11.6K

$343 PEN 1,179

83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 MX$27.8K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 MX$23.4K

$651 PEN 2,235

94.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,332 MX$61.6K

$2,414 PEN 8,292

38.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,734 MX$32.0K

$1,357 PEN 4,660

27.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MX$10.4K

$648 PEN 2,226

-13.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

8.94

25.28%

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

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajijic

$630 49.7%

Lima

$343 33.9% 45.5% $286

Groceries & Markets

Ajijic

$222 17.6%

Lima

$226 22.3% 1.7% $3.7

Eating Out

Ajijic

$171 13.5%

Lima

$124 12.3% 27.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajijic

$94 7.4%

Lima

$117 11.6% 24% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ajijic

$90 7.1%

Lima

$112 11.1% 25.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ajijic

$34 2.7%

Lima

$46 4.6% 36.1% $12

Getting Around

Ajijic

$26 * 2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 68.3% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Ajijic versus $721 in Lima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Lima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Ajijic versus $35.00 in Lima. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Ajijic vs $226 in Lima – so Ajijic wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

1 h ahead of Ajijic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,439

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ajijic Lima 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajijic
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

Ajijic vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,900 per month in Ajijic and $1,518 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,267 in Ajijic and $1,012 in Lima. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $212 per month in Ajijic and $182 in Lima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Ajijic at $1,267. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajijic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajijic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.