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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $980 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,520 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,061 in Lima.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Lima is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$4.12 PEN 14.05

214.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$33.17 PEN 113

57.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$6.79 PEN 23.14

42.71%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.63 PEN 8.98

42.59%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.94 PEN 3.19

65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.60 PEN 2.04

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$2.25 PEN 7.68

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$3.82 PEN 13.02

28.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.47 PEN 5.03

15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.60 PEN 8.86

2.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.31 PEN 4.47

44.27%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.87 PEN 9.78

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$7.84 PEN 26.73

27.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$5.51 PEN 18.80

54.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$10.60 PEN 36.15

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.06 PEN 7.03

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.13 PEN 3.84

58.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.10 PEN 3.77

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.25 PEN 4.25

56.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.02 PEN 3.48

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.93 PEN 3.17

144.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.82 PEN 2.78

70.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.89 PEN 3.03

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$5.49 PEN 18.70

-23.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$8.64 PEN 29.44

91.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.76 PEN 5.99

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.98 PEN 10.17

20.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.66 PEN 2.26

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$30.53 PEN 104

-37.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$3.34 PEN 11.39

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$2.15 PEN 7.34

-86.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$8.49 PEN 28.93

-36.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.30 PEN 4.42

-0.77%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$19.2K PEN 65.5K

-1.57%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$24.1K PEN 82.2K

-1.36%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$55.8 PEN 190

-28.57%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$12.35 PEN 42.10

125.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$23.96 PEN 81.7

24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$30.52 PEN 104

70.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$18.57 PEN 63.3

41.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$6.76 PEN 23.06

-7.25%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$220 PEN 751

96.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$7,863 PEN 26.8K

34.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$50.9 PEN 174

11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$35.62 PEN 121

27.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$90.6 PEN 309

12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$89.0 PEN 304

21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$622 PEN 2,120

59.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$352 PEN 1,200

75.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$1,019 PEN 3,474

104.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$637 PEN 2,171

97.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,318 PEN 7,903

69.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$1,411 PEN 4,811

48.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$649 PEN 2,211

74.44%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lima: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $622 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% 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 $33.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $219 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $980 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 74% more on average, 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $622 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $220 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 $980 in Lima versus $1,448 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.