Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Cuauhtémoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,014 a month against $1,133 in Cuauhtémoc, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cuauhtémoc
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Cuauhtémoc Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

Cuauhtémoc

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Cuauhtémoc

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Lima vs $1,133 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Lima $1,014
Cuauhtémoc $1,133

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Lima vs $1,825 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Lima $1,613
Cuauhtémoc $1,825

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Lima vs $2,517 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Lima $2,211
Cuauhtémoc $2,517

Lima is about 10% cheaper than Cuauhtémoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lima and Cuauhtémoc are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Cuauhtémoc 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$11.03 MX$204

-59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$44.20 MX$817

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$8.32 MX$154

-18.27%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$3.51 MX$64.9

-5.98%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$1.40 MX$25.79

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$1.06 MX$19.65

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$2.49 MX$45.98

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$3.91 MX$72.3

8.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.58 MX$29.15

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

$2.67 MX$49.41

-2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.65 MX$30.58

-18.79%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$2.42 MX$44.72

21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

$8.06 MX$149

17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

$8.23 MX$152

-30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

$11.42 MX$211

-15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

$2.81 MX$51.8

-28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.51 MX$27.90

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.93 MX$35.75

-29.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

$1.83 MX$33.84

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

$2.01 MX$37.06

-52.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.81 MX$33.47

-49.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.42 MX$26.20

-36.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$1.09 MX$20.14

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$4.47 MX$82.6

28.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

$10.53 MX$195

-12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.82 MX$33.71

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$3.09 MX$57.0

0.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

$0.67 MX$12.46

7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

$2.67 MX$49.30

32.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$1.93 MX$35.58

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

$10.95 MX$202

-29.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

$1.45 MX$26.74

17.93%

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

$21.5K MX$397.0K

0.50%

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

$24.5K MX$453.0K

16.60%

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

$68.2 PEN 234

$58.5 MX$1,080

16.60%

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

$22.66 MX$419

-30.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

$29.34 MX$542

-9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

$33.58 MX$621

1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

$19.88 MX$367

1.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

$5.24 MX$96.8

37.79%

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

$201 PEN 689

$218 MX$4,023

-7.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$4,546 MX$84.0K

183.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

$55.4 MX$1,023

-3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

$41.12 MX$760

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$102 MX$1,876

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

$90.0 MX$1,664

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

$601 MX$11.1K

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

$385 MX$7,114

-9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

$1,056 MX$19.5K

12.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

$758 MX$14.0K

-8.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

$1,904 MX$35.2K

23.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

$1,153 MX$21.3K

17.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

11.3

-22.30%

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

Cuauhtémoc

$385 34% 10.4% $36

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

Cuauhtémoc

$263 23.2% 15.8% $36

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

Cuauhtémoc

$185 16.4% 50.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

Cuauhtémoc

$130 11.4% 14.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

Cuauhtémoc

$110 9.8% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

Cuauhtémoc

$44 3.9% 8.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

Cuauhtémoc

$15 * 1.3% 65% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Lima versus $601 in Cuauhtémoc. 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 $44.00 in Cuauhtémoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $263 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Cuauhtémoc

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

545,884

💱 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 Cuauhtémoc 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Cuauhtémoc

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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuauhtémoc is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Lima and $1,699 in Cuauhtémoc. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Lima and $44.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Cuauhtémoc, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Cuauhtémoc at $1,133. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuauhtémoc it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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