Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Veracruz

For one person, living costs are similar in Lima and in Veracruz: $1,012 and $1,035 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Veracruz
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Veracruz Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Veracruz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Veracruz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,035 in Veracruz.

Lima $1,012
Veracruz $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,641 in Veracruz.

Lima $1,589
Veracruz $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,246 in Veracruz.

Lima $2,167
Veracruz $2,246

Living in Lima costs roughly 2% less than in Veracruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Veracruz 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$9.46 MX$175

-53.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$43.45 MX$803

-19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$8.16 MX$151

-15.56%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.80 MX$51.8

16.43%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.45 MX$26.71

-22.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.79 MX$14.54

-21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.13 MX$39.42

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$3.82 MX$70.6

15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.54 MX$28.42

5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.45 MX$45.25

4.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.78 MX$32.90

-24.16%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.19 MX$40.53

32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$4.98 MX$92.0

77.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$5.75 MX$106

4.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$9.40 MX$174

4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$2.62 MX$48.47

-21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.32 MX$24.35

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$1.96 MX$36.29

-31.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.59 MX$29.43

-5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.34 MX$24.79

-34.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$2.03 MX$37.60

-54.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.17 MX$21.67

-23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$1.01 MX$18.62

-10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.35 MX$80.4

35.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$7.98 MX$148

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.42 MX$26.19

32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$2.68 MX$49.45

20.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.51 MX$9.42

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$29.70 MX$549

-9.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.44 MX$45.10

56.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.62 MX$29.96

24.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$6.72 MX$124

5.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.41 MX$26.08

21.99%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$21.4K MX$394.8K

4.43%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$23.9K MX$441.6K

6.71%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$60.8 MX$1,123

20.24%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$18.51 MX$342

-11.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$23.58 MX$436

16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$29.98 MX$554

6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$10.47 MX$194

85.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.98 MX$92.0

41.57%

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

$182 PEN 627

$162 MX$2,985

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$3,300 MX$61.0K

295.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$57.9 MX$1,071

-7.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$31.20 MX$577

10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$101 MX$1,863

-17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$77.4 MX$1,430

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$404 MX$7,470

78.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$351 MX$6,489

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$610 MX$11.3K

99.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$638 MX$11.8K

1.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$680 MX$12.6K

255.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$560 MX$10.3K

142.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$832 MX$15.4K

-22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.96

-18.43%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Veracruz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Veracruz

$351 33.9% 2.2% $7.7

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Veracruz

$218 21% 3.6% $8.1

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Veracruz

$161 15.6% 29.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Veracruz

$103 9.9% 12% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Veracruz

$120 11.6% 7.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Veracruz

$40 3.9% 13.2% $6.1

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Veracruz

$42 4.1% 2.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $404 in Veracruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veracruz pays 28% 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 $43.00 in Veracruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $218, with Veracruz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Veracruz

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

405,952

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lima Veracruz 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Veracruz

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 Veracruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Veracruz differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,035 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Veracruz. 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: $721 in Lima versus $404 in Veracruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $162 in Veracruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Veracruz pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,035 in Veracruz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Veracruz. 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 2% less than in Veracruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.