Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Mercedes

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,293 in Mercedes, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Mercedes
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Mercedes Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Mercedes

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,293

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Mercedes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,293 in Mercedes.

Lima $1,012
Mercedes $1,293

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,970 in Mercedes.

Lima $1,589
Mercedes $1,970

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,647 in Mercedes.

Lima $2,167
Mercedes $2,647

Living in Lima costs roughly 22% less than in Mercedes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Mercedes 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$14.84 UYU 595

-70.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$62.3 UYU 2,501

-43.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$14.30 UYU 574

-51.82%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.52 UYU 101

29.37%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$2.73 UYU 110

-58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.93 UYU 37.27

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.53 UYU 102

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.81 UYU 153

15.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.32 UYU 53.2

23.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.89 UYU 116

-11.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.45 UYU 58.4

-6.90%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.79 UYU 112

3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$13.95 UYU 560

-36.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$11.88 UYU 477

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$7.56 UYU 304

29.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.01 UYU 80.7

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$2.51 UYU 101

-57.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.09 UYU 43.65

23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.95 UYU 119

-49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.98 UYU 79.4

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.14 UYU 86.0

-57.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.34 UYU 54.0

-33.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.71 UYU 68.8

-47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$5.06 UYU 203

16.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$8.96 UYU 359

-4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$2.31 UYU 92.8

-18.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.77 UYU 111

16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$1.82 UYU 73.2

109.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$0.44 UYU 17.54

359.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$10.48 UYU 421

-32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$2.22 UYU 89.3

-22.52%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-16.64%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$37.1K UYU 1.5M

-31.23%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$191 UYU 7,680

-61.81%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$21.03 UYU 844

-22.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$44.67 UYU 1,793

-38.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$12.15 UYU 488

-41.98%

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

$182 PEN 627

$613 UYU 24.6K

-70.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$10.9K UYU 435.7K

20.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$104 UYU 4,192

-48.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$56.1 UYU 2,250

-38.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$125 UYU 5,005

-33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$131 UYU 5,255

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$581 UYU 23.3K

24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$296 UYU 11.9K

16.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$619 UYU 24.9K

96.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$446 UYU 17.9K

45.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$3,032 UYU 121.7K

-20.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$2,007 UYU 80.5K

-32.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

5.74

55.75%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Mercedes

$296 22.9% 14% $48

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Mercedes

$298 23.1% 32.1% $73

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Mercedes

$227 17.5% 82.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Mercedes

$257 19.9% 120% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Mercedes

$187 14.5% 67% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Mercedes

$24 * 1.9% 47.2% $22

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Mercedes

$4 * 0.3% 90.8% $39

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 $581 in Mercedes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $62.0 in Mercedes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $298 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇺🇾 Mercedes

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

21:52 9:52 PM

2 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

41,975

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Mercedes 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Mercedes

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Mercedes differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,293 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,518 in Lima and $1,940 in Mercedes to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $581 in Mercedes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mercedes. 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 $1,293 in Mercedes – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,293 in Mercedes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Mercedes. 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 Mercedes 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 28% less than in Mercedes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.