For one person, living is cheaper in Araxa: $881 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lima and in Araxa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $881 in Araxa.
Lima $1,012
Araxa $881
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,393 in Araxa.
Lima $1,589
Araxa $1,393
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $1,906 in Araxa.
Lima $2,167
Araxa $1,906
🌍
Living in Lima is roughly 15% more expensive than in Araxa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Lima25% lower, Araxa35% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40PEN 15.10
$6.39R$32.38
-31.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17PEN 121
$27.69R$140
27.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.89PEN 23.65
$8.65R$43.85
-20.35%
Cappuccino
$3.26PEN 11.20
$1.81R$9.20
80.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12PEN 3.84
$1.23R$6.25
-8.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62PEN 2.11
$0.81R$4.13
-23.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.65PEN 9.09
$1.70R$8.62
55.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41PEN 15.15
$3.20R$16.22
37.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.63PEN 5.61
$1.02R$5.17
59.80%
White Bread(500g)
$2.56PEN 8.78
$1.74R$8.83
47.13%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.35PEN 4.65
$1.22R$6.18
10.66%
Eggs
$2.90PEN 9.96
$2.23R$11.30
30.04%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.85PEN 30.38
$9.45R$47.90
-6.35%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.98PEN 20.52
$4.33R$21.94
38.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.78PEN 33.59
$8.46R$42.87
15.60%
Apples(1kg)
$2.05PEN 7.02
$2.18R$11.04
-5.96%
Banana(1kg)
$1.06PEN 3.66
$1.27R$6.44
-16.54%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.35PEN 4.64
$1.18R$5.97
14.41%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50PEN 5.15
$1.53R$7.73
-1.96%
Potato(1kg)
$0.88PEN 3.03
$1.18R$5.98
-25.42%
Onion(1kg)
$0.92PEN 3.15
$1.14R$5.78
-19.30%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.89PEN 3.07
$0.78R$3.96
14.10%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90PEN 3.10
$0.83R$4.22
8.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90PEN 20.27
$2.47R$12.52
138.87%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.52PEN 29.26
$7.97R$40.39
6.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88PEN 6.45
$1.34R$6.77
40.30%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22PEN 11.05
$2.10R$10.64
53.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Araxa
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.68PEN 2.33
$0.98R$4.97
-30.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.86PEN 92.2
$40.29R$204
-33.33%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.81PEN 13.09
$1.16R$5.86
228.45%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.02PEN 6.93
$0.95R$4.82
112.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.11PEN 24.41
$9.25R$46.91
-23.14%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.72PEN 5.91
$1.31R$6.65
31.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3KPEN 76.6K
$23.9KR$121.4K
-6.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5KPEN 87.6K
$34.7KR$176.0K
-26.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$73.1PEN 251
$75.4R$382
-3.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35PEN 56.2
$13.91R$70.5
17.54%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47PEN 94.3
$21.18R$107
29.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$31.90PEN 110
$25.71R$130
24.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41PEN 66.7
$27.86R$141
-30.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.05PEN 24.23
$7.12R$36.08
-0.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$182PEN 627
$285R$1,445
-36.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.0KPEN 44.8K
$7,880R$39.9K
65.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8PEN 185
$55.2R$280
-2.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32PEN 118
$50.7R$257
-32.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$82.8PEN 284
$91.9R$466
-9.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2PEN 269
$72.3R$367
8.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Araxa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$721PEN 2,476
$351R$1,781
105.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$343PEN 1,179
$243R$1,232
41.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,219PEN 4,186
$672R$3,405
81.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$651PEN 2,235
$479R$2,427
35.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,414PEN 8,292
$1,724R$8,738
40.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,357PEN 4,660
$1,048R$5,313
29.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Araxa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$648PEN 2,226
$245R$1,241
164.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.94
11
-18.73%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026
Last update for Araxa: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343 33.9%
Araxa
$243 27.6% ↓ 29.2%$100
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226 22.3%
Araxa
$193 22% ↓ 14.4%$33
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$124 12.3%
Araxa
$122 13.8% ↓ 1.7%$2.1
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117 11.6%
Araxa
$111 12.6% ↓ 5.5%$6.4
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112 11.1%
Araxa
$122 13.8% ↑ 8.5%$9.5
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46 4.6%
Araxa
$40 4.5% ↓ 13.2%$6.1
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$43 4.3%
Araxa
$50 5.7% ↑ 15.3%$6.7
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lima
$651 30%
Araxa
$479 25.1% ↓ 26.4%$172
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lima
$517 23.9%
Araxa
$444 23.3% ↓ 14.1%$73
🍽Eating Out
Lima
$417 19.2%
Araxa
$379 19.9% ↓ 9.1%$38
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$133 6.2%
Araxa
$124 6.5% ↓ 6.6%$8.8
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$249 11.5%
Araxa
$270 14.2% ↑ 8.4%$21
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$111 5.1%
Araxa
$108 5.7% ↓ 3.3%$3.7
🚌Getting Around
Lima
$88 4.1%
Araxa
$102 5.4% ↑ 15.7%$14
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $351 in Araxa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lima pays 165% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $28.00 in Araxa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $193 per month, with Araxa cheaper across the board.
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
Lima vs Araxa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lima or Araxa?
Araxa wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Araxa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lima or in Araxa?
Average pay runs 165% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lima compared to Araxa?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $351 in Araxa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Lima compared to Araxa?
All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $881 in Araxa – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Lima compared to Araxa?
A monthly transit pass in Araxa runs roughly 50% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lima or in Araxa?
At $881 in Araxa versus $1,012 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Araxa but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Araxa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lima or Araxa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Araxa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $881 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Araxa hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Araxa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.