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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,014 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,605 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,196 in Lima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.36 PEN 14.63

173.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$35.98 PEN 121

43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.14 PEN 23.96

59.80%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.39 PEN 11.39

17.70%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.09 PEN 3.66

52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.62 PEN 2.08

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.72 PEN 9.11

27.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.53 PEN 15.20

30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.62 PEN 5.45

16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.70 PEN 9.06

20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.38 PEN 4.63

56.52%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.95 PEN 9.90

-1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.46 PEN 31.74

35.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.05 PEN 20.30

66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.99 PEN 33.53

58.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.03 PEN 6.80

62.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.06 PEN 3.55

89.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.42 PEN 4.76

54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.49 PEN 5.02

58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.93 PEN 3.12

120.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.86 PEN 2.89

120.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.84 PEN 2.83

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.94 PEN 3.15

48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.04 PEN 20.28

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.99 PEN 30.18

96.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.92 PEN 6.45

7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.25 PEN 10.91

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.68 PEN 2.29

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$27.60 PEN 92.6

-24.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$4.05 PEN 13.60

-48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.03 PEN 6.80

-72.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.23 PEN 24.27

-19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.73 PEN 5.80

-6.94%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$21.9K PEN 73.4K

4.49%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$26.3K PEN 88.3K

1.69%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$71.6 PEN 240

-8.94%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$16.89 PEN 56.7

78.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$27.92 PEN 93.7

33.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$33.23 PEN 112

79.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$20.13 PEN 67.5

31.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.52 PEN 25.24

-6.38%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$183 PEN 615

153.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$13.5K PEN 45.4K

-1.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$55.0 PEN 185

37.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.32 PEN 122

54.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$87.4 PEN 293

28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$79.8 PEN 268

51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$764 PEN 2,564

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$352 PEN 1,180

104.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,277 PEN 4,285

98.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$657 PEN 2,204

96.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,497 PEN 8,378

59.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,403 PEN 4,708

48.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$656 PEN 2,203

58.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.94

26.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $764 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 58% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $232 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,014 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $764 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $183 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $1,660 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.