Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $975 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,515 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,055 in Lima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 51% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Lima is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.24 PEN 14.40

209.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$33.85 PEN 115

58.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.10 PEN 24.11

31.41%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.58 PEN 8.77

43.41%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.90 PEN 3.07

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.64 PEN 2.19

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.24 PEN 7.60

40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.92 PEN 13.30

23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.47 PEN 4.99

12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.63 PEN 8.91

3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.31 PEN 4.46

45.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.96 PEN 10.06

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.03 PEN 27.26

22.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.59 PEN 18.97

50.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.56 PEN 35.86

12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.00 PEN 6.77

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.11 PEN 3.78

56.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.14 PEN 3.86

78.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.26 PEN 4.28

63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.98 PEN 3.33

119.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.01 PEN 3.42

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.82 PEN 2.80

69.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.87 PEN 2.97

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.48 PEN 18.62

-22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.85 PEN 30.06

97.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.71 PEN 5.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.93 PEN 9.93

23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.71 PEN 2.42

-50.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$30.86 PEN 105

-37.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.39 PEN 11.49

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.12 PEN 7.20

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.48 PEN 28.80

-37.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.32 PEN 4.48

3.03%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$19.7K PEN 66.8K

-2.88%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$24.9K PEN 84.7K

-5.34%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$57.0 PEN 194

-28.91%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$12.83 PEN 43.54

113.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$23.68 PEN 80.4

28.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$31.09 PEN 106

67.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$18.87 PEN 64.1

40.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.84 PEN 23.22

-9.50%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$223 PEN 757

90.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,847 PEN 26.6K

36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$50.3 PEN 171

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$35.93 PEN 122

24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$90.3 PEN 307

14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$90.4 PEN 307

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$621 PEN 2,109

63.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$352 PEN 1,197

76.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,037 PEN 3,519

104.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$622 PEN 2,113

96.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,363 PEN 8,023

60.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,424 PEN 4,836

48.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$636 PEN 2,160

65.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.11

12.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $621 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 65% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $220 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Lima differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $975 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $621 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $223 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $975 in Lima versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.