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: $999 in Lima versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Lima costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$13.07 MX$229

-68.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$53.8 MX$943

-36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$9.68 MX$170

-30.37%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$3.74 MX$65.6

-32.62%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$1.62 MX$28.34

-41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$1.16 MX$20.37

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$3.23 MX$56.6

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$4.74 MX$83.1

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.65 MX$28.89

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$2.75 MX$48.30

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.87 MX$32.87

-26.74%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.50 MX$43.86

17.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$10.20 MX$179

-22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$8.25 MX$145

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$11.82 MX$207

-9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$3.01 MX$52.8

-34.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.81 MX$31.77

-40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$2.00 MX$35.07

-45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$2.00 MX$35.00

-40.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$2.08 MX$36.56

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$2.27 MX$39.85

-55.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$1.46 MX$25.55

-40.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$1.08 MX$18.88

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$4.35 MX$76.3

28.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$16.99 MX$298

-47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.73 MX$30.40

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$3.58 MX$62.7

-14.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.39 MX$6.79

74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$18.69 MX$328

69.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$1.33 MX$23.25

153.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$0.28 MX$4.91

692.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$5.25 MX$92.1

57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.34 MX$23.44

0.75%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

-0.04%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

1.79%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$40.69 MX$714

38.71%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$26.87 MX$471

-53.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$30.51 MX$535

-22.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$52.8 MX$926

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$26.65 MX$467

-29.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$6.51 MX$114

4.92%

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

$219 PEN 743

$428 MX$7,508

-48.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-22.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$57.3 MX$1,004

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$45.50 MX$798

-21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$104 MX$1,825

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$108 MX$1,891

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$623 MX$10.9K

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-51.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-49.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-40.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-31.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-39.78%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 66% 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: $34.00 in Lima vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $292 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 46% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $1,456 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% 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: $623 in Lima versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Lima versus $1,456 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 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.