Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Colima

For one person, living is cheaper in Colima: $952 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lima outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Colima
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Colima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Colima

🇲🇽 Mexico

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Colima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $952 in Colima.

Lima $1,012
Colima $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,562 in Colima.

Lima $1,589
Colima $1,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,173 in Colima.

Lima $2,167
Colima $2,173

Living in Lima is roughly 6% more expensive than in Colima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Colima 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$7.58 MX$140

-41.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$33.52 MX$619

4.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$7.16 MX$132

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.24 MX$41.33

45.54%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.00 MX$18.48

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.84 MX$15.45

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.23 MX$41.16

18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$2.45 MX$45.24

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.55 MX$28.57

5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.64 MX$48.76

-3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.21 MX$22.40

11.57%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.76 MX$51.0

5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$8.01 MX$148

10.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$8.35 MX$154

-28.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$9.86 MX$182

-0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.85 MX$52.7

-28.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.44 MX$26.63

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.78 MX$32.82

-24.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.26 MX$41.70

-33.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.30 MX$42.50

-61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.30 MX$42.58

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.43 MX$26.36

-37.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.09 MX$20.09

-17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$3.61 MX$66.8

63.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$6.76 MX$125

26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.56 MX$28.83

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$1.77 MX$32.64

81.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.63 MX$11.73

7.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$19.51 MX$361

37.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.40 MX$44.35

58.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$2.82 MX$52.1

-28.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$9.41 MX$174

-24.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.43 MX$26.45

20.28%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$20.9K MX$386.3K

6.73%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$22.7K MX$419.1K

12.45%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$64.9 MX$1,198

12.66%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$20.24 MX$374

-19.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$29.71 MX$549

-7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$35.28 MX$652

-9.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$21.72 MX$401

-10.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.63 MX$85.6

52.27%

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

$182 PEN 627

$147 MX$2,712

24.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$2,496 MX$46.1K

422.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$45.09 MX$833

19.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$25.11 MX$464

36.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$74.1 MX$1,369

11.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$102 MX$1,884

-23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$262 MX$4,849

174.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$261 MX$4,831

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$369 MX$6,826

229.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$589 MX$10.9K

10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$287 MX$5,301

125.92%

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 Colima: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Colima

$261 27.5% 23.9% $82

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Colima

$250 26.2% 10.4% $24

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Colima

$132 13.9% 6.8% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Colima

$115 12.1% 1.8% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Colima

$111 11.6% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Colima

$45 4.7% 3.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Colima

$39 4.1% 11.3% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $262 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 126% 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 $34.00 in Colima. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $250, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Colima

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

146,965

💱 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

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Between locations

Lima Colima 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Colima

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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Colima differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $952 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $721 in Lima versus $262 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 38% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $147 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Colima versus $1,012 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Colima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.