Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Guanajuato

For one person, living costs are similar in Lima and in Guanajuato: $1,012 and $1,054 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Guanajuato
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Guanajuato Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Guanajuato

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Guanajuato

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,054 in Guanajuato.

Lima $1,012
Guanajuato $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,619 in Guanajuato.

Lima $1,589
Guanajuato $1,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,185 in Guanajuato.

Lima $2,167
Guanajuato $2,185

Living in Lima costs roughly 4% less than in Guanajuato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Guanajuato 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$13.62 MX$252

-67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$44.07 MX$814

-20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$7.59 MX$140

-9.22%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$3.86 MX$71.3

-15.54%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.67 MX$30.87

-32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.99 MX$18.28

-37.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.67 MX$49.29

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$4.84 MX$89.4

-8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.59 MX$29.41

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.61 MX$48.21

-1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.44 MX$26.68

-6.25%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.38 MX$44.03

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$4.84 MX$89.5

82.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$9.57 MX$177

-37.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$11.88 MX$219

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.72 MX$50.2

-24.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.64 MX$30.31

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.03 MX$37.59

-33.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.55 MX$28.73

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.98 MX$36.64

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.83 MX$33.75

-49.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.52 MX$28.00

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.06 MX$19.65

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.83 MX$89.3

22.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$10.74 MX$198

-20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.88 MX$34.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.46 MX$64.0

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.58 MX$10.64

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$27.18 MX$502

-1.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.17 MX$40.16

75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.38 MX$25.53

46.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$8.94 MX$165

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.48 MX$27.33

16.22%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$20.4K MX$376.1K

9.61%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$24.0K MX$443.1K

6.37%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$50.7 MX$937

44.09%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$20.05 MX$371

-18.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$27.98 MX$517

-1.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$31.52 MX$582

1.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$27.44 MX$507

-29.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$6.63 MX$122

6.33%

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

$182 PEN 627

$209 MX$3,862

-12.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$5,492 MX$101.5K

137.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$59.3 MX$1,096

-9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$37.24 MX$688

-7.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$77.5 MX$1,432

6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$57.3 MX$1,058

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$518 MX$9,579

39.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$295 MX$5,460

16.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$779 MX$14.4K

56.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$388 MX$7,179

67.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,346 MX$24.9K

79.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,086 MX$20.1K

24.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$712 MX$13.1K

-8.93%

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 Guanajuato: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Guanajuato

$295 28% 14% $48

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Guanajuato

$261 24.8% 15.5% $35

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Guanajuato

$212 20.1% 70.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Guanajuato

$99 9.4% 15.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Guanajuato

$104 9.9% 7.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Guanajuato

$45 4.3% 2.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Guanajuato

$39 3.7% 11.3% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $518 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 10% 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 $44.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $261 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Guanajuato

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

01:21 1:21 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

70,068

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Guanajuato 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Guanajuato

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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Guanajuato. 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 10% lower in Guanajuato. 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: $721 in Lima versus $518 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Guanajuato. 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 $44.00 in Guanajuato. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,054 in Guanajuato, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Guanajuato. 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 $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lima hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lima and Guanajuato 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 4% less than in Guanajuato. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.