Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Lima costs roughly 38% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 26% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.62

$12.11 MX$206

-64.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$52.2 MX$887

-38.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.64

$10.90 MX$185

-35.50%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.87

$4.05 MX$68.8

-20.25%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.80

$1.72 MX$29.13

-34.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$1.38 MX$23.40

-55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 9.02

$3.47 MX$58.9

-22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.23

$5.81 MX$98.7

-22.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$1.85 MX$31.48

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.75

$3.22 MX$54.7

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.51

$2.09 MX$35.42

-35.89%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.27

$2.91 MX$49.41

4.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.30

$12.49 MX$212

-27.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.93

$10.11 MX$172

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.95

$15.89 MX$270

-38.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.04

$3.31 MX$56.3

-36.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.54

$2.13 MX$36.12

-50.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.88

$2.19 MX$37.20

-33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$2.45 MX$41.57

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.11

$2.19 MX$37.18

-57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.17

$1.90 MX$32.35

-50.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.00

$1.62 MX$27.44

-45.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$1.35 MX$22.92

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.55

$5.43 MX$92.1

7.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.34

$17.59 MX$299

-48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.52

$2.07 MX$35.12

-6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.85

$4.75 MX$80.6

-32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.31

$0.34 MX$5.77

102.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.4

$21.58 MX$366

26.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.11

$2.04 MX$34.65

91.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$0.58 MX$9.82

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 25.04

$5.97 MX$101

24.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.77

$1.62 MX$27.44

5.56%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

-2.72%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

0.24%

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

$71.1 PEN 239

$65.2 MX$1,108

8.94%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.9

$29.87 MX$507

-43.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 95.1

$36.55 MX$621

-22.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 114

$61.0 MX$1,036

-44.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 67.1

$26.70 MX$453

-25.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.29

$6.85 MX$116

5.55%

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

$181 PEN 607

$453 MX$7,700

-60.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 182

$75.0 MX$1,273

-27.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 120

$55.3 MX$939

-35.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 289

$114 MX$1,929

-24.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 272

$123 MX$2,083

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,550

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,165

$712 MX$12.1K

-51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,216

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,171

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-50.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,335

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-37.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,676

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-33.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,248

$1,047 MX$17.8K

-36.13%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 57% 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: $32.00 in Lima vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $345 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Mexico City differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,646 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Mexico City. 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: $759 in Lima versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,016 in Lima versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.