Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Villahermosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,237 in Villahermosa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,237
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Villahermosa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $1,237 in Villahermosa.

  • Lima $1,012
  • Villahermosa $1,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $2,106 in Villahermosa.

  • Lima $1,589
  • Villahermosa $2,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $2,975 in Villahermosa.

  • Lima $2,167
  • Villahermosa $2,975

Living in Lima costs roughly 18% less than in Villahermosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Villahermosa 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 PEN 15.10
$10.89 MX$201
-59.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.17 PEN 121
$35.88 MX$663
-1.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 PEN 23.65
$10.87 MX$201
-36.61%
Cappuccino
$3.26 PEN 11.20
$3.31 MX$61.2
-1.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 PEN 3.84
$1.27 MX$23.39
-11.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 PEN 2.11
$1.20 MX$22.17
-48.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 PEN 9.09
$2.81 MX$52.0
-5.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 PEN 15.15
$5.58 MX$103
-20.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 PEN 5.61
$1.75 MX$32.42
-6.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PEN 8.78
$1.78 MX$32.95
43.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.65
$1.41 MX$25.98
-4.26%
Eggs
$2.90 PEN 9.96
$1.92 MX$35.41
51.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 PEN 30.38
$8.51 MX$157
4.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 PEN 20.52
$10.55 MX$195
-43.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 PEN 33.59
$13.90 MX$257
-29.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 PEN 7.02
$3.38 MX$62.4
-39.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 PEN 3.66
$1.41 MX$26.04
-24.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.35 PEN 4.64
$1.61 MX$29.68
-16.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 PEN 5.15
$1.22 MX$22.50
22.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 PEN 3.03
$1.61 MX$29.75
-45.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 PEN 3.15
$1.35 MX$24.99
-31.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$1.40 MX$25.86
-36.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 PEN 3.10
$1.27 MX$23.38
-29.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.27
$6.45 MX$119
-8.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 PEN 29.26
$9.36 MX$173
-8.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 PEN 6.45
$2.76 MX$50.9
-31.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 PEN 11.05
$6.47 MX$119
-50.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$0.57 MX$10.59
19.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.86 PEN 92.2
$23.36 MX$432
14.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.09
$2.20 MX$40.72
73.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 PEN 6.93
$2.24 MX$41.37
-9.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.11 PEN 24.41
$11.08 MX$205
-35.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 PEN 5.91
$1.39 MX$25.61
23.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
$23.2K MX$428.3K
-3.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
$26.2K MX$484.9K
-2.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.1 PEN 251
$63.5 MX$1,173
15.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.35 PEN 56.2
$29.82 MX$551
-45.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 PEN 94.3
$32.36 MX$598
-15.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.90 PEN 110
$50.2 MX$928
-36.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 PEN 66.7
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.05 PEN 24.23
$4.29 MX$79.2
64.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 627
$311 MX$5,741
-41.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
$4,546 MX$84.0K
186.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 PEN 185
$64.7 MX$1,196
-16.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.32 PEN 118
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.8 PEN 284
$76.2 MX$1,407
8.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 PEN 269
$61.3 MX$1,132
27.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 PEN 2,476
$496 MX$9,160
45.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$343 PEN 1,179
$448 MX$8,275
-23.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 PEN 4,186
$1,588 MX$29.3K
-23.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 PEN 2,235
$1,212 MX$22.4K
-46.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,357 PEN 4,660
$1,222 MX$22.6K
11.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Villahermosa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$648 PEN 2,226
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
0
-

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lima
$343
Villahermosa
$448 30.4% $104
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Villahermosa
$280 24% $54
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Villahermosa
$195 56.9% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Villahermosa
$126 7.5% $8.8
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Villahermosa
$91 * 18.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$46
Villahermosa
$59 27.8% $13
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Villahermosa
$39 10.2% $4.4

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 $721 in Lima and $496 in Villahermosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $36.00 in Villahermosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $280 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🕒 Local time
18:53 6:53 PM
17:53 5:53 PM
1 h behind Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
340,060
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Villahermosa 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • Villahermosa

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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lima and in Villahermosa?
Lima and Villahermosa differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,237 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 Villahermosa?
You'd need roughly $1,518 in Lima and $1,856 in Villahermosa 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 Villahermosa?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $496 in Villahermosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lima and Villahermosa?
Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $311 in Villahermosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Villahermosa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,237 in Villahermosa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Villahermosa. 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 Villahermosa?
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 Villahermosa?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Villahermosa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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