Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irapuato and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,204 in Irapuato, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Irapuato despite lower rent and utilities.

Irapuato
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Irapuato versus $1,012 in Lima.

  • Irapuato $1,204
  • Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,956 in Irapuato versus $1,589 in Lima.

  • Irapuato $1,956
  • Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,708 in Irapuato versus $2,167 in Lima.

  • Irapuato $2,708
  • Lima $2,167

Living in Irapuato is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irapuato 11% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.77 MX$199
$4.40 PEN 15.10
144.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.62 MX$917
$35.17 PEN 121
41.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$6.89 PEN 23.65
60.38%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$69.6
$3.26 PEN 11.20
15.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.13
$1.12 PEN 3.84
41.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 MX$23.86
$0.62 PEN 2.11
108.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.0
$2.65 PEN 9.09
22.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$4.41 PEN 15.15
22.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.75
$1.63 PEN 5.61
8.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$2.56 PEN 8.78
19.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.81
$1.35 PEN 4.65
43.70%
Eggs
$2.74 MX$50.7
$2.90 PEN 9.96
-5.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.82 MX$218
$8.85 PEN 30.38
33.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 MX$172
$5.98 PEN 20.52
55.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.63 MX$270
$9.78 PEN 33.59
49.59%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 MX$58.0
$2.05 PEN 7.02
53.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.23
$1.06 PEN 3.66
89.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.02
$1.35 PEN 4.64
52.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.24 MX$41.38
$1.50 PEN 5.15
49.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.31
$0.88 PEN 3.03
129.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 MX$33.17
$0.92 PEN 3.15
94.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 MX$27.99
$0.89 PEN 3.07
69.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.64
$0.90 PEN 3.10
42.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.25 MX$97.0
$5.90 PEN 20.27
-11.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.46 MX$304
$8.52 PEN 29.26
93.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.51
$1.88 PEN 6.45
5.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 MX$82.6
$3.22 PEN 11.05
38.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 MX$12.65
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.86 PEN 92.2
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.09 MX$38.59
$3.81 PEN 13.09
-45.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 MX$10.65
$2.02 PEN 6.93
-71.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.52 MX$102
$7.11 PEN 24.41
-22.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 MX$24.45
$1.72 PEN 5.91
-23.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K MX$385.6K
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
-6.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$453.3K
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
-3.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.7 MX$1,121
$73.1 PEN 251
-16.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.25 MX$522
$16.35 PEN 56.2
72.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.99 MX$628
$27.47 PEN 94.3
23.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.39 MX$635
$31.90 PEN 110
7.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.22 MX$374
$19.41 PEN 66.7
4.17%
Cinema Ticket
$6.42 MX$119
$7.05 PEN 24.23
-8.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$436 MX$8,057
$182 PEN 627
138.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,659 MX$86.1K
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
-64.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.0 MX$1,293
$53.8 PEN 185
30.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$981
$34.32 PEN 118
54.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,965
$82.8 PEN 284
28.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,075
$78.2 PEN 269
43.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$617 MX$11.4K
$721 PEN 2,476
-14.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$347 MX$6,406
$343 PEN 1,179
0.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,119 MX$20.7K
$1,219 PEN 4,186
-8.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$697 MX$12.9K
$651 PEN 2,235
7.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,833 MX$33.9K
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-24.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,320 MX$24.4K
$1,357 PEN 4,660
-2.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Irapuato
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$347 MX$6,410
$648 PEN 2,226
-46.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
8.94
26.40%

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

Last update for Irapuato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Irapuato
$347
Lima
$343 0.9% $3.3
Groceries & Markets
Irapuato
$323
Lima
$226 30% $97
Eating Out
Irapuato
$203
Lima
$124 38.9% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Irapuato
$154
Lima
$112 27.1% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Irapuato
$123
Lima
$117 4.9% $6
Sport & Entertainment
Irapuato
$47
Lima
$46 2.6% $1.2
Getting Around
Irapuato
$7.7 *
Lima
$43 464% $36

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 $617 in Irapuato and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Irapuato vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Irapuato
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
23:47 11:47 PM
00:47 12:47 AM
1 h ahead of Irapuato
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
452,090
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 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Irapuato Lima 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Irapuato
  • 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
Irapuato vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Irapuato and in Lima?
Irapuato and Lima differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Irapuato and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $617 in Irapuato versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Irapuato. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Irapuato or Lima?
All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Irapuato versus $1,012 in Lima – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,204 in Irapuato, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Irapuato. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Irapuato and Lima?
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.
Is Irapuato or Lima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Irapuato 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.
Where should expats move: Irapuato or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Irapuato. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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