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: $985 in Lima versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Lima costs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 27% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$13.18 MX$228

-68.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$53.9 MX$934

-38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$9.42 MX$163

-25.69%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$3.55 MX$61.5

-28.45%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$1.62 MX$28.03

-43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$1.11 MX$19.31

-45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$3.12 MX$54.1

-28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$4.63 MX$80.2

-17.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.70 MX$29.48

-17.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$2.72 MX$47.10

0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.91 MX$33.13

-31.94%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.54 MX$43.94

16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$10.03 MX$174

-20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$8.09 MX$140

-29.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$11.62 MX$201

-8.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$2.97 MX$51.4

-31.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.81 MX$31.30

-40.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$2.01 MX$34.88

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$2.03 MX$35.26

-38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$2.12 MX$36.82

-51.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$2.27 MX$39.32

-57.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$1.40 MX$24.26

-37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$1.13 MX$19.59

-22.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$4.27 MX$74.0

27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$15.56 MX$270

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.76 MX$30.44

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$3.60 MX$62.3

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.38 MX$6.64

76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$19.18 MX$332

59.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$1.38 MX$23.84

144.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$0.28 MX$4.79

689.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$5.45 MX$94.4

50.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.30 MX$22.60

3.85%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

3.36%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

5.12%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$40.86 MX$708

38.79%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$26.81 MX$465

-52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$29.96 MX$519

-19.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$52.0 MX$901

-42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$26.84 MX$465

-29.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$6.30 MX$109

6.98%

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

$218 PEN 740

$436 MX$7,558

-50.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-24.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$56.7 MX$982

-11.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$44.38 MX$769

-17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$103 MX$1,784

-12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$106 MX$1,829

-16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$631 MX$10.9K

-44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-51.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-49.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-39.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-30.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-43.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

11.34

-10.85%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 78% 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: $33.00 in Lima vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $288 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 49% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $1,467 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 78% less. 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: $606 in Lima versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $985 in Lima versus $1,467 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.