Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Zacatecas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Lima versus $738 in Zacatecas.

Lima $1,012
Zacatecas $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Lima versus $1,170 in Zacatecas.

Lima $1,589
Zacatecas $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Lima versus $1,602 in Zacatecas.

Lima $2,167
Zacatecas $1,602

Living in Lima is roughly 37% more expensive than in Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Zacatecas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$6.12 MX$113

-28.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$31.70 MX$586

10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$7.50 MX$139

-8.13%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.96 MX$54.7

10.14%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.21 MX$22.31

-7.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.72 MX$13.31

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$1.86 MX$34.45

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$4.08 MX$75.4

8.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.37 MX$25.41

18.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$2.21 MX$40.91

15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.54 MX$28.52

-12.34%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.29 MX$42.31

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$7.32 MX$135

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$6.12 MX$113

-2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$9.25 MX$171

5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$1.75 MX$32.31

17.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.66 MX$30.63

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.02 MX$37.30

-33.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$1.46 MX$27.05

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.00 MX$36.98

-56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$1.76 MX$32.50

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.52 MX$28.04

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.84 MX$15.60

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$4.29 MX$79.4

37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$10.67 MX$197

-20.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.67 MX$30.90

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$3.38 MX$62.5

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.53 MX$9.88

28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$16.52 MX$305

62.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.21 MX$40.77

72.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$1.08 MX$19.91

87.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$12.28 MX$227

-42.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.45 MX$26.79

18.62%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$21.1K MX$390.6K

5.56%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$24.5K MX$452.6K

4.14%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$23.16 MX$428

215.50%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$8.38 MX$155

95.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$25.17 MX$465

9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$25.02 MX$462

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$8.17 MX$151

137.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$4.39 MX$81.1

60.59%

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

$182 PEN 627

$256 MX$4,736

-28.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$3,234 MX$59.8K

303.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$45.26 MX$836

18.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$40.19 MX$743

-14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$91.6 MX$1,692

-9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$43.08 MX$796

81.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$242 MX$4,467

198.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$162 MX$2,994

111.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$383 MX$7,074

218.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$249 MX$4,606

161.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$571 MX$10.5K

137.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$407 MX$7,527

59.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.8

-17.22%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Zacatecas

$162 22% 52.8% $181

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Zacatecas

$228 30.9% 0.8% $1.9

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Zacatecas

$132 17.9% 6.6% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Zacatecas

$57 7.7% 51.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Zacatecas

$99 13.4% 11.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Zacatecas

$34 4.6% 26.5% $12

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Zacatecas

$26 3.6% 39.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Lima and $242 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 59% 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 $32.00 in Zacatecas. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $228, with Lima cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

138,444

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lima Zacatecas 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Zacatecas

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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Zacatecas differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $738 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Lima versus $242 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Lima versus $256 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lima pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $738 in Zacatecas versus $1,012 in Lima, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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.

Safety-wise, Lima and Zacatecas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.