Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Tijuana

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,303 in Tijuana, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
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Tijuana Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Tijuana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Lima versus $1,303 in Tijuana.

Lima $996
Tijuana $1,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lima versus $2,067 in Tijuana.

Lima $1,594
Tijuana $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Lima versus $2,831 in Tijuana.

Lima $2,191
Tijuana $2,831

Living in Lima costs roughly 24% less than in Tijuana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Tijuana 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.21

$11.98 MX$218

-63.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 PEN 121

$35.25 MX$641

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 PEN 23.52

$9.69 MX$176

-29.41%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.26

$4.34 MX$78.9

-24.65%

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

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$1.42 MX$25.91

-22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$1.22 MX$22.12

-46.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$3.37 MX$61.3

-23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.39

$6.51 MX$118

-31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 PEN 5.48

$1.78 MX$32.32

-10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$2.87 MX$52.3

-10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.67

$1.81 MX$32.83

-24.86%

Eggs

$2.95 PEN 10.14

$3.25 MX$59.2

-9.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 PEN 31.30

$8.15 MX$148

11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$7.55 MX$137

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 PEN 33.80

$12.06 MX$219

-18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$2.87 MX$52.3

-29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.70

$1.68 MX$30.47

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.71

$1.90 MX$34.47

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.08

$1.67 MX$30.31

-11.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.32

$1.59 MX$28.96

-39.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$1.87 MX$34.10

-54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.52 MX$27.59

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.98

$1.03 MX$18.73

-15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.31

$4.42 MX$80.3

33.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 PEN 30.31

$8.24 MX$150

6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 PEN 6.59

$2.17 MX$39.55

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 PEN 11.02

$4.11 MX$74.8

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.13 MX$20.54

-39.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 PEN 92.0

$30.84 MX$561

-13.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.10

$2.84 MX$51.6

34.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 7.02

$2.26 MX$41.05

-9.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 PEN 24.57

$19.42 MX$353

-63.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 PEN 5.67

$1.54 MX$28.01

7.14%

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

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

$21.5K MX$391.6K

3.02%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$24.7K MX$449.7K

3.84%

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

$73.0 PEN 251

$46.78 MX$851

56.14%

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

$16.26 PEN 55.9

$34.62 MX$630

-53.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 PEN 94.9

$29.93 MX$544

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.07 PEN 114

$41.13 MX$748

-19.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 PEN 67.1

$8.05 MX$147

142.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 PEN 25.41

$6.91 MX$126

6.95%

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

$182 PEN 626

$209 MX$3,803

-12.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

$4,606 MX$83.8K

189.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 PEN 181

$54.3 MX$987

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 PEN 118

$47.02 MX$855

-27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

$104 MX$1,885

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 PEN 272

$70.0 MX$1,274

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 PEN 2,488

$868 MX$15.8K

-16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 PEN 1,170

$481 MX$8,746

-29.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 PEN 4,074

$1,553 MX$28.2K

-23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 PEN 2,183

$905 MX$16.5K

-29.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 PEN 8,423

$3,095 MX$56.3K

-20.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 PEN 4,718

$2,713 MX$49.3K

-49.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 PEN 2,245

$951 MX$17.3K

-31.36%

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 Tijuana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$340 33.6%

Tijuana

$481 36.8% 41.4% $141

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.4%

Tijuana

$268 20.5% 18.4% $42

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Tijuana

$217 16.7% 75.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Tijuana

$111 8.5% 4.8% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Tijuana

$124 9.5% 10.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.7%

Tijuana

$55 4.2% 14.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Tijuana

$49 3.8% 13.8% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Lima and $868 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tijuana pays 46% 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: $35.00 in Lima vs $35.00 in Tijuana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $268 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

23:12 11:12 PM

2 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

1,810,645

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Tijuana 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Tijuana

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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Tijuana differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $1,303 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Tijuana. 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: $723 in Lima versus $868 in Tijuana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $209 in Tijuana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Tijuana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,303 in Tijuana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Tijuana. 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 31% less than in Tijuana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.