Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Rosarito

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,173 in Rosarito, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Rosarito
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,173
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Rosarito

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,173 in Rosarito.

  • Lima $996
  • Rosarito $1,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $1,900 in Rosarito.

  • Lima $1,594
  • Rosarito $1,900

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,628 in Rosarito.

  • Lima $2,191
  • Rosarito $2,628

Living in Lima costs roughly 15% less than in Rosarito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Rosarito 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.16
$12.41 MX$228
-64.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04 PEN 120
$34.87 MX$640
0.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 PEN 23.44
$9.82 MX$180
-30.35%
Cappuccino
$3.27 PEN 11.22
$4.26 MX$78.2
-23.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 PEN 3.78
$1.37 MX$25.20
-19.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.22
$1.24 MX$22.83
-47.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PEN 8.85
$3.42 MX$62.7
-24.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 PEN 15.34
$6.57 MX$121
-31.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 PEN 5.46
$1.80 MX$33.03
-11.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 PEN 8.86
$3.01 MX$55.3
-14.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 PEN 4.65
$1.76 MX$32.27
-22.73%
Eggs
$2.95 PEN 10.11
$3.31 MX$60.7
-10.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 PEN 31.19
$8.34 MX$153
9.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.81 PEN 19.91
$7.32 MX$134
-20.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.83 PEN 33.68
$11.88 MX$218
-17.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.89
$2.86 MX$52.5
-29.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 PEN 3.69
$1.68 MX$30.79
-35.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.70
$1.91 MX$35.02
-28.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 PEN 5.06
$1.65 MX$30.30
-10.30%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 PEN 3.30
$1.58 MX$28.93
-39.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 PEN 2.92
$1.91 MX$35.07
-55.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 PEN 3.02
$1.47 MX$27.08
-40.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PEN 2.97
$1.07 MX$19.73
-18.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.24
$4.37 MX$80.2
35.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 PEN 30.21
$8.20 MX$151
7.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 PEN 6.57
$2.30 MX$42.15
-16.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 PEN 10.98
$4.11 MX$75.5
-22.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$0.66 MX$12.11
3.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.74 PEN 91.7
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.06
$3.00 MX$55.2
27.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 PEN 7.00
$2.28 MX$41.84
-10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.14 PEN 24.49
$11.05 MX$203
-35.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 PEN 5.65
$1.31 MX$24.12
25.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K PEN 76.0K
$21.2K MX$389.6K
4.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K PEN 88.0K
$24.4K MX$448.8K
4.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.0 PEN 250
$48.34 MX$887
51.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26 PEN 55.7
$34.02 MX$625
-52.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60 PEN 94.6
$29.93 MX$550
-7.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.07 PEN 113
$35.33 MX$649
-6.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 PEN 66.8
$20.08 MX$369
-2.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.39 PEN 25.33
$6.88 MX$126
7.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 624
$210 MX$3,849
-13.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
$4,684 MX$86.0K
184.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 PEN 180
$54.5 MX$1,000
-3.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23 PEN 117
$46.77 MX$859
-26.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 287
$104 MX$1,901
-19.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 PEN 271
$69.5 MX$1,277
13.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 PEN 2,479
$624 MX$11.5K
15.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 PEN 1,166
$396 MX$7,274
-14.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 PEN 4,060
$1,036 MX$19.0K
14.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$635 PEN 2,176
$776 MX$14.2K
-18.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,449 PEN 8,394
$1,894 MX$34.8K
29.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,372 PEN 4,702
$1,146 MX$21.0K
19.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Rosarito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 PEN 2,237
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
12.07
-25.93%

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

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rosarito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$340
Rosarito
$396 16.5% $56
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Rosarito
$269 19% $43
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Rosarito
$220 77.7% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Rosarito
$112 3.9% $4.6
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Rosarito
$123 9.9% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Rosarito
$49 2.6% $1.2
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Rosarito
$17 * 60.8% $26

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 $723 in Lima and $624 in Rosarito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $35.00 in Rosarito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $269 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇲🇽 Rosarito
🕒 Local time
22:08 10:08 PM
20:08 8:08 PM
2 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
100,660
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Rosarito 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Rosarito

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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Rosarito?
Lima and Rosarito differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,173 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lima compared to Rosarito?
You'd need roughly $1,494 in Lima and $1,759 in Rosarito 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lima and in Rosarito?
Rent for a central apartment: $723 in Lima versus $624 in Rosarito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Rosarito. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lima or Rosarito?
All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Lima versus $1,173 in Rosarito – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $996 in Lima versus $1,173 in Rosarito, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Rosarito. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lima and Rosarito?
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.
Where should expats move: Lima or Rosarito?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Rosarito. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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