Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,302 in Guadalajara, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index

Jump to prices

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Guadalajara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,302 in Guadalajara.

Lima $996
Guadalajara $1,302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,119 in Guadalajara.

Lima $1,594
Guadalajara $2,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,936 in Guadalajara.

Lima $2,191
Guadalajara $2,936

Living in Lima costs roughly 23% less than in Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Guadalajara 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.16

$13.67 MX$251

-67.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 120

$44.72 MX$821

-21.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.44

$9.08 MX$167

-24.67%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.22

$3.90 MX$71.5

-16.15%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.78

$1.67 MX$30.69

-34.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$1.17 MX$21.56

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.85

$2.71 MX$49.70

-4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.34

$4.88 MX$89.6

-8.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.46

$1.76 MX$32.38

-9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$2.62 MX$48.12

-1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.65

$1.73 MX$31.68

-21.39%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.11

$2.48 MX$45.56

18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.19

$8.99 MX$165

1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.91

$9.95 MX$183

-41.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.68

$11.52 MX$211

-14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.89

$2.92 MX$53.6

-31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.69

$1.60 MX$29.35

-32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

$2.04 MX$37.37

-32.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.06

$1.76 MX$32.27

-15.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.30

$2.00 MX$36.77

-52.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.80 MX$33.03

-52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$1.49 MX$27.41

-40.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.97

$1.08 MX$19.87

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

$4.63 MX$84.9

27.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.21

$10.82 MX$199

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.57

$1.94 MX$35.55

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 10.98

$3.38 MX$62.1

-5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.58 MX$10.65

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 91.7

$30.62 MX$562

-12.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.06

$2.20 MX$40.31

73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.00

$1.41 MX$25.86

44.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.49

$12.36 MX$227

-42.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.65

$1.52 MX$27.90

8.55%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

$21.1K MX$387.5K

5.06%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

$24.1K MX$442.2K

6.58%

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

$73.0 PEN 250

$49.59 MX$911

47.29%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.7

$22.94 MX$421

-29.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.6

$31.15 MX$572

-11.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 113

$28.66 MX$526

15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 66.8

$11.30 MX$207

72.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.33

$6.57 MX$121

12.48%

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

$182 PEN 624

$253 MX$4,645

-28.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

$10.9K MX$199.8K

22.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 180

$60.1 MX$1,104

-12.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 117

$40.27 MX$739

-15.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 287

$108 MX$1,983

-22.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 271

$83.1 MX$1,525

-4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,479

$856 MX$15.7K

-15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,166

$497 MX$9,123

-31.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,060

$1,571 MX$28.8K

-24.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,176

$1,009 MX$18.5K

-37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,394

$3,101 MX$56.9K

-21.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,702

$1,953 MX$35.9K

-29.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,237

$776 MX$14.2K

-15.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.68

-23.46%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Guadalajara

$497 37.8% 46.1% $157

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Guadalajara

$280 21.3% 23.6% $53

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Guadalajara

$218 16.6% 75.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Guadalajara

$104 7.9% 11.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Guadalajara

$131 10% 16.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 12.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $856 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 19% 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 $45.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $280 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

00:26 12:26 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

1,385,629

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Guadalajara 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Guadalajara

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 Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Guadalajara. 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 $856 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lima – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $45.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,302 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $996 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.