Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,371 in Los Cabos, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Los Cabos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,371 in Los Cabos.

Lima $1,012
Los Cabos $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,211 in Los Cabos.

Lima $1,589
Los Cabos $2,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $3,051 in Los Cabos.

Lima $2,167
Los Cabos $3,051

Living in Lima costs roughly 26% less than in Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Los Cabos is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$22.30 MX$412

-80.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$43.70 MX$807

-19.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$13.76 MX$254

-49.93%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$5.22 MX$96.5

-37.55%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.30 MX$42.51

-51.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$2.06 MX$38.06

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$4.99 MX$92.2

-46.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$8.36 MX$154

-47.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.65 MX$30.46

-1.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.86 MX$52.8

-10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$2.38 MX$44.07

-43.28%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.41 MX$44.49

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$8.96 MX$166

-1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$9.56 MX$177

-37.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$17.76 MX$328

-44.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$4.13 MX$76.4

-50.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.78 MX$32.89

-40.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.93 MX$54.2

-53.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.53 MX$46.70

-40.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.34 MX$43.16

-62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.53 MX$46.73

-63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.24 MX$22.99

-28.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.86 MX$15.94

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.52 MX$83.6

30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$10.32 MX$191

-17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.61 MX$29.70

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.13 MX$57.8

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.41 MX$25.98

-51.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.66 MX$49.20

43.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.93 MX$35.59

4.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$11.63 MX$215

-38.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.38 MX$25.43

24.64%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$21.0K MX$388.2K

6.21%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$24.3K MX$449.9K

4.75%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$58.6 MX$1,083

24.71%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$27.70 MX$512

-40.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$24.59 MX$454

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$34.48 MX$637

-7.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$20.05 MX$371

-3.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.28 MX$79.1

64.72%

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

$182 PEN 627

$215 MX$3,971

-15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$4,652 MX$86.0K

180.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$93.3 MX$1,724

-42.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$40.63 MX$751

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$124 MX$2,298

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$89.7 MX$1,657

-12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$612 MX$11.3K

17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$391 MX$7,226

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,044 MX$19.3K

16.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$781 MX$14.4K

-16.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$1,933 MX$35.7K

24.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,131 MX$20.9K

20.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$811 MX$15.0K

-20.05%

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 Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Los Cabos

$391 28.5% 13.9% $48

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Los Cabos

$310 22.6% 37.3% $84

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Los Cabos

$341 24.9% 175% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Los Cabos

$111 8.1% 5.1% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Los Cabos

$157 11.4% 39.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Los Cabos

$43 3.1% 6.5% $3

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Los Cabos

$18 * 1.3% 58.8% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $612 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 25% 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 Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $310 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

202,694

💱 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 Los Cabos 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Los Cabos differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,371 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Los Cabos. 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 $612 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Lima versus $1,371 in Los Cabos – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,371 in Los Cabos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Los Cabos. 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.