Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,077 in Ensenada, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. The total is higher in Ensenada despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Ensenada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,077 in Ensenada.

Lima $996
Ensenada $1,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,707 in Ensenada.

Lima $1,594
Ensenada $1,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,336 in Ensenada.

Lima $2,191
Ensenada $2,336

Living in Lima costs roughly 8% less than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Ensenada 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$11.98 MX$220

-63.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$34.40 MX$632

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$7.38 MX$136

-7.32%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$3.06 MX$56.2

6.86%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$1.18 MX$21.71

-6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$0.69 MX$12.67

-5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$2.84 MX$52.1

-9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$3.97 MX$73.0

12.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.76 MX$32.29

-9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.63 MX$48.30

-1.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.71 MX$31.40

-20.47%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.73 MX$50.0

8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$8.54 MX$157

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$6.75 MX$124

-13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$10.39 MX$191

-5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.17 MX$39.77

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.64 MX$30.08

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$1.82 MX$33.37

-24.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.58 MX$29.05

-6.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$1.35 MX$24.73

-28.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.84 MX$33.72

-53.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.48 MX$27.09

-40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.04 MX$19.07

-16.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$4.06 MX$74.5

45.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$13.45 MX$247

-34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.81 MX$33.18

6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$2.67 MX$49.04

19.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.87 MX$15.96

-21.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$35.92 MX$659

-25.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$2.97 MX$54.5

28.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$1.98 MX$36.37

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$19.57 MX$359

-63.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.37 MX$25.11

20.44%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$20.0K MX$367.4K

10.81%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$24.6K MX$451.5K

4.37%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$48.01 MX$882

52.13%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$32.03 MX$588

-49.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$26.68 MX$490

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$30.95 MX$568

6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$11.17 MX$205

74.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$4.65 MX$85.3

58.92%

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

$182 PEN 624

$197 MX$3,615

-7.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$4,889 MX$89.8K

172.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$54.2 MX$994

-2.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$44.13 MX$810

-22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$103 MX$1,892

-18.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$57.9 MX$1,064

36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$528 MX$9,700

36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$333 MX$6,109

2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$1,007 MX$18.5K

17.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$649 MX$11.9K

-2.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$1,345 MX$24.7K

82.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$687 MX$12.6K

99.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$673 MX$12.4K

-3.08%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Ensenada

$333 30.6% 2.2% $7.4

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Ensenada

$255 23.5% 12.8% $29

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Ensenada

$184 16.9% 48.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Ensenada

$107 9.8% 8.7% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Ensenada

$117 10.7% 3.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Ensenada

$40 3.7% 15.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Ensenada

$52 4.8% 20.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $528 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 3% 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 Ensenada. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $255, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

20:45 8:45 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

330,652

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Ensenada 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Ensenada

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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Ensenada differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,077 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Ensenada. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $528 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $1,077 in Ensenada – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lima runs roughly 34% less than in Ensenada. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,077 in Ensenada, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Ensenada. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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 Ensenada 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Ensenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.