Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,361 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Mendoza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,361 in Mendoza.

Lima $996
Mendoza $1,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,195 in Mendoza.

Lima $1,594
Mendoza $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $3,029 in Mendoza.

Lima $2,191
Mendoza $3,029

Living in Lima costs roughly 27% less than in Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Mendoza is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

$10.87 ARS 16.5K

-59.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

$50.0 ARS 75.9K

-29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

$14.90 ARS 22.6K

-54.09%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

$4.55 ARS 6,898

-28.13%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$2.42 ARS 3,668

-54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$1.89 ARS 2,858

-65.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$4.05 ARS 6,135

-36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

$4.60 ARS 6,971

-2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.48

$1.34 ARS 2,033

18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$2.27 ARS 3,437

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.67

$2.67 ARS 4,051

-49.06%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.14

$3.19 ARS 4,843

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.30

$14.61 ARS 22.2K

-37.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$6.30 ARS 9,556

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.80

$10.95 ARS 16.6K

-10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$2.32 ARS 3,512

-13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$2.14 ARS 3,244

-49.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$1.34 ARS 2,038

2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.08

$3.19 ARS 4,840

-53.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.32

$2.03 ARS 3,077

-52.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$1.50 ARS 2,277

-43.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.94 ARS 2,945

-54.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.98

$2.51 ARS 3,806

-65.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$2.80 ARS 4,244

110.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.31

$5.03 ARS 7,625

75.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.59

$1.79 ARS 2,711

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

$2.93 ARS 4,445

9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.97 ARS 1,472

-29.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 92.0

$19.83 ARS 30.1K

34.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.05 ARS 3,112

85.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.02

$1.02 ARS 1,541

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

$5.04 ARS 7,642

41.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.67

$1.21 ARS 1,831

36.36%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

$26.7K ARS 40.4M

-16.82%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$33.2K ARS 50.4M

-22.76%

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

$73.0 PEN 251

$143 ARS 217.2K

-49.03%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.9

$17.59 ARS 26.7K

-7.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.9

$24.39 ARS 37.0K

13.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

$31.80 ARS 48.2K

3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

$17.99 ARS 27.3K

8.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.41

$7.16 ARS 10.9K

3.21%

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

$182 PEN 626

$173 ARS 262.6K

5.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

$4,150 ARS 6.3M

221.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 181

$127 ARS 192.9K

-58.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

$140 ARS 211.7K

-75.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$146 ARS 220.8K

-42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

$161 ARS 244.7K

-51.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

$561 ARS 850.3K

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

$340 ARS 515.7K

-0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

$975 ARS 1.5M

21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

$682 ARS 1.0M

-6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,423

$1,699 ARS 2.6M

44.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,718

$1,115 ARS 1.7M

23.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,245

$768 ARS 1.2M

-15.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-84.85%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Mendoza

$340 24.7% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Mendoza

$285 20.7% 26.1% $59

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Mendoza

$233 16.9% 87.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Mendoza

$185 13.4% 58.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Mendoza

$258 18.7% 130% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Mendoza

$46 3.3% 3.6% $1.7

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 29% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $561 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mendoza pays 18% 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 $50.0 in Mendoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $285 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

937,154

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Mendoza 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Mendoza

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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Mendoza differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,361 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Mendoza. 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 $561 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $173 in Mendoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mendoza. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,361 in Mendoza, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Mendoza. 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 Mendoza 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 37% less than in Mendoza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.