Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $1,141 in Cuajimalpa, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cuajimalpa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,141
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,014
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,014 in Lima.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,141
  • Lima $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,613 in Lima.

  • Cuajimalpa $1,827
  • Lima $1,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,211 in Lima.

  • Cuajimalpa $2,514
  • Lima $2,211

Living in Cuajimalpa is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 16% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.81 MX$200
$4.42 PEN 15.19
144.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.13 MX$797
$34.56 PEN 119
24.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 MX$154
$6.80 PEN 23.37
22.79%
Cappuccino
$3.60 MX$66.6
$3.30 PEN 11.34
9.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 MX$25.87
$1.06 PEN 3.64
32.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.50
$0.66 PEN 2.26
60.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.52 MX$46.60
$2.54 PEN 8.71
-0.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 MX$73.2
$4.24 PEN 14.55
-6.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MX$29.16
$1.58 PEN 5.43
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 MX$48.81
$2.61 PEN 8.97
1.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 MX$31.34
$1.34 PEN 4.60
26.87%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.39
$2.93 PEN 10.08
-16.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.08 MX$149
$9.45 PEN 32.45
-14.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.10 MX$150
$5.75 PEN 19.75
40.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.30 MX$209
$9.69 PEN 33.29
16.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 MX$51.5
$2.02 PEN 6.95
38.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 MX$27.83
$1.07 PEN 3.66
41.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.44
$1.37 PEN 4.70
35.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 MX$33.42
$1.47 PEN 5.05
23.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.89
$0.95 PEN 3.25
110.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 MX$35.21
$0.91 PEN 3.14
109.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.42
$0.90 PEN 3.10
58.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$20.79
$0.89 PEN 3.04
25.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44 MX$82.1
$5.74 PEN 19.71
-22.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 MX$194
$9.21 PEN 31.64
14.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.13
$1.84 PEN 6.31
-2.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 MX$58.8
$3.11 PEN 10.67
2.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 MX$12.73
$0.72 PEN 2.46
-4.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.03 PEN 89.4
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 MX$48.32
$3.54 PEN 12.17
-25.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 MX$37.15
$2.07 PEN 7.12
-2.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 MX$202
$7.75 PEN 26.62
40.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.64
$1.71 PEN 5.86
-15.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K MX$386.5K
$21.6K PEN 74.1K
-3.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$448.9K
$28.6K PEN 98.2K
-15.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.5 MX$1,063
$68.2 PEN 234
-15.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.78 MX$421
$15.73 PEN 54.0
44.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.83 MX$551
$26.48 PEN 90.9
12.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.34 MX$635
$33.94 PEN 117
1.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.21 MX$373
$20.10 PEN 69.0
0.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.31 MX$98.1
$7.22 PEN 24.80
-26.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$223 MX$4,122
$201 PEN 689
11.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,649 MX$85.9K
$12.9K PEN 44.3K
-63.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 MX$1,008
$53.7 PEN 184
1.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.13 MX$760
$35.88 PEN 123
14.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MX$1,863
$83.8 PEN 288
20.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,636
$78.8 PEN 271
12.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 MX$11.1K
$729 PEN 2,505
-17.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 MX$7,290
$349 PEN 1,197
13.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 MX$18.9K
$1,186 PEN 4,073
-13.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$764 MX$14.1K
$696 PEN 2,391
9.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,905 MX$35.2K
$2,360 PEN 8,105
-19.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,154 MX$21.3K
$1,356 PEN 4,657
-14.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuajimalpa
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$663 PEN 2,278
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
8.78
28.70%

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuajimalpa
$395
Lima
$349 11.6% $46
Groceries & Markets
Cuajimalpa
$262
Lima
$227 13.3% $35
Eating Out
Cuajimalpa
$185
Lima
$123 33.3% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Cuajimalpa
$128
Lima
$113 11.5% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuajimalpa
$110
Lima
$110 0.2% $0.3
Sport & Entertainment
Cuajimalpa
$45
Lima
$48 7.6% $3.4
Getting Around
Cuajimalpa
$15 *
Lima
$43 178% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $729 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $227 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
08:34 8:34 AM
09:34 9:34 AM
1 h ahead of Cuajimalpa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
217,686
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 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 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuajimalpa Lima 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuajimalpa
  • 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
Cuajimalpa vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lima cheaper than Cuajimalpa?
Lima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $1,522 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.
What is the rent difference between Cuajimalpa and Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $729 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $201 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Cuajimalpa or in Lima?
Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $43.00 in Cuajimalpa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Cuajimalpa or in Lima?
At $1,014 in Lima versus $1,141 in Cuajimalpa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Cuajimalpa. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cuajimalpa or Lima more family-friendly?
For families, Lima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cuajimalpa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cuajimalpa or Lima?
Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cuajimalpa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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