Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Boca del Rio

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,202 in Boca del Rio, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Boca del Rio
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Boca del Rio Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Boca del Rio

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $1,202 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Boca del Rio $1,202

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,891 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Boca del Rio $1,891

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $2,581 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Boca del Rio $2,581

Lima is about 16% cheaper than Boca del Rio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lima and Boca del Rio are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Boca del Rio 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$10.87 MX$201

-59.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$44.56 MX$823

-21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$8.29 MX$153

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.62 MX$66.9

-9.94%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.36 MX$25.20

-17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$1.00 MX$18.51

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.50 MX$46.27

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.95 MX$73.0

11.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.42 MX$26.33

14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.60 MX$48.12

-1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.93 MX$35.61

-30.05%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.30 MX$42.58

26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$8.14 MX$150

8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$8.44 MX$156

-29.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$13.02 MX$241

-24.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$3.11 MX$57.5

-34.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.78 MX$32.90

-40.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.90 MX$35.05

-28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.85 MX$34.19

-18.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.98 MX$36.63

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.78 MX$32.86

-48.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.60 MX$29.63

-44.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.00 MX$18.54

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.02 MX$74.4

46.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$9.71 MX$179

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.60 MX$29.60

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.57 MX$65.9

-9.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.68 MX$12.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.90 MX$53.7

31.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.85 MX$34.13

9.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$11.13 MX$206

-36.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.44 MX$26.52

19.44%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$20.3K MX$374.6K

10.06%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$23.6K MX$435.6K

8.20%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$63.9 MX$1,182

14.28%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$24.30 MX$449

-32.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$31.42 MX$581

-12.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$37.07 MX$685

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$19.02 MX$352

2.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.91 MX$90.8

43.58%

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

$182 PEN 627

$197 MX$3,634

-7.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$4,060 MX$75.0K

221.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$55.2 MX$1,020

-2.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$38.00 MX$702

-9.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$98.8 MX$1,825

-16.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$82.5 MX$1,525

-5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$533 MX$9,843

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$443 MX$8,194

-22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,031 MX$19.0K

18.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$802 MX$14.8K

-18.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,660 MX$30.7K

45.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,026 MX$19.0K

32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.3

-20.88%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Boca del Rio

$443 36.9% 29.1% $100

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Boca del Rio

$268 22.3% 18.8% $43

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Boca del Rio

$185 15.4% 49.3% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Boca del Rio

$120 10% 2.4% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Boca del Rio

$124 10.3% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Boca del Rio

$47 3.9% 1.9% $0.9

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Boca del Rio

$15 * 1.2% 65.9% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $533 in Boca del Rio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima versus $45.00 in Boca del Rio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $268 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Boca del Rio

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

09:12 9:12 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

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).

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).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Boca del Rio 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,012 in Lima, $1,202 in Boca del Rio – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,803 in Boca del Rio. 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 $1,012 in Lima and $1,202 in Boca del Rio. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $197 in Boca del Rio. 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 Boca del Rio at $1,202. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boca del Rio it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,012 in Lima to $1,202 in Boca del Rio. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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