Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ciudad Lerdo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Lerdo: $831 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Lima despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Lerdo
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Ciudad Lerdo Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Ciudad Lerdo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ciudad Lerdo

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 Ciudad Lerdo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $831 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Lima $1,014
Ciudad Lerdo $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $1,327 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Lima $1,613
Ciudad Lerdo $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $1,823 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Lima $2,211
Ciudad Lerdo $1,823

Living in Lima is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$5.54 MX$102

-20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$26.39 MX$488

30.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$6.67 MX$123

1.95%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$1.61 MX$29.70

104.97%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$0.79 MX$14.66

34.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$0.56 MX$10.43

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$1.41 MX$26.01

80.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$2.76 MX$50.9

53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.08 MX$19.95

46.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$1.33 MX$24.63

96.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.07 MX$19.82

25.23%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$1.61 MX$29.73

81.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$3.80 MX$70.3

148.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$3.86 MX$71.2

48.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$6.71 MX$124

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$1.34 MX$24.67

50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$0.78 MX$14.40

37.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$0.80 MX$14.84

71.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$0.80 MX$14.77

83.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$0.85 MX$15.76

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.85 MX$15.71

7.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.52 MX$9.68

73.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.68 MX$12.60

30.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$3.74 MX$69.1

53.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$6.62 MX$122

39.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.09 MX$20.06

68.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$1.34 MX$24.74

132.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.68 MX$12.58

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

$13.78 MX$255

88.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$1.18 MX$21.83

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$1.92 MX$35.52

7.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$5.51 MX$102

40.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.24 MX$22.84

37.90%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$18.2K MX$336.1K

18.72%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$21.0K MX$388.4K

36.00%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$32.65 MX$603

108.73%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$13.57 MX$251

15.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$21.84 MX$404

21.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$33.57 MX$620

1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$20.34 MX$376

-1.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$3.92 MX$72.4

84.18%

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

$201 PEN 689

$140 MX$2,580

43.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$2,745 MX$50.7K

370.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$27.70 MX$512

93.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$21.70 MX$401

65.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$55.5 MX$1,026

50.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$43.18 MX$798

82.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$615 MX$11.4K

18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$385 MX$7,123

-9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$1,054 MX$19.5K

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$781 MX$14.4K

-10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$1,880 MX$34.7K

25.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$1,158 MX$21.4K

17.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

$218 MX$4,036

203.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

10.53

-16.62%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Ciudad Lerdo

$385 46.4% 10.6% $37

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Ciudad Lerdo

$140 16.9% 38.4% $87

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$102 12.2% 17.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$67 8% 41.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Ciudad Lerdo

$68 8.2% 38.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Ciudad Lerdo

$41 5% 14.4% $7

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$27 3.3% 36.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Lima and $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 204% 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 $26.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $140 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Ciudad Lerdo

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

96,243

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Ciudad Lerdo 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ciudad Lerdo

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 Ciudad Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Lima. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 204% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Lima versus $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 89% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Lima versus $140 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Lerdo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $831 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Lerdo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ciudad Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.