Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oaxaca de Juarez
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,154
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oaxaca de Juarez and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oaxaca de Juarez and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,012 in Lima.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $1,154
  • Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,589 in Lima.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $1,781
  • Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,408 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,167 in Lima.

  • Oaxaca de Juarez $2,408
  • Lima $2,167

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez is roughly 14% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez 15% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.48 MX$120
$4.40 PEN 15.10
47.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.81 MX$606
$35.17 PEN 121
-6.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.33 MX$154
$6.89 PEN 23.65
20.90%
Cappuccino
$2.82 MX$52.1
$3.26 PEN 11.20
-13.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$27.83
$1.12 PEN 3.84
34.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 MX$14.59
$0.62 PEN 2.11
27.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$45.90
$2.65 PEN 9.09
-6.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 MX$70.0
$4.41 PEN 15.15
-14.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 MX$24.59
$1.63 PEN 5.61
-18.40%
White Bread (500g)
$3.13 MX$57.8
$2.56 PEN 8.78
22.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 MX$20.62
$1.35 PEN 4.65
-17.04%
Eggs
$1.74 MX$32.21
$2.90 PEN 9.96
-40.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.44 MX$119
$8.85 PEN 30.38
-27.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.49 MX$101
$5.98 PEN 20.52
-8.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.27 MX$208
$9.78 PEN 33.59
15.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.46
$2.05 PEN 7.02
4.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 MX$22.80
$1.06 PEN 3.66
16.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.14
$1.35 PEN 4.64
40.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 MX$9.81
$1.50 PEN 5.15
-64.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.18
$0.88 PEN 3.03
128.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$0.92 PEN 3.15
117.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 MX$20.58
$0.89 PEN 3.07
24.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 MX$17.46
$0.90 PEN 3.10
4.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24 MX$78.3
$5.90 PEN 20.27
-28.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.40 MX$174
$8.52 PEN 29.26
10.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$27.11
$1.88 PEN 6.45
-21.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 MX$48.64
$3.22 PEN 11.05
-18.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.81
$0.68 PEN 2.33
-22.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.86 PEN 92.2
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.89 MX$71.9
$3.81 PEN 13.09
2.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 MX$36.12
$2.02 PEN 6.93
-3.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.89 MX$201
$7.11 PEN 24.41
53.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 MX$25.17
$1.72 PEN 5.91
-20.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$396.0K
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
-3.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K MX$450.4K
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
-4.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$73.1 PEN 251
-14.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.03 MX$204
$16.35 PEN 56.2
-32.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.19 MX$447
$27.47 PEN 94.3
-11.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.34 MX$819
$31.90 PEN 110
39.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.41 PEN 66.7
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.58 MX$103
$7.05 PEN 24.23
-20.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$422 MX$7,795
$182 PEN 627
131.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K MX$369.3K
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
53.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 MX$988
$53.8 PEN 185
-0.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.6 MX$1,138
$34.32 PEN 118
79.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 MX$1,887
$82.8 PEN 284
23.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.3 MX$1,816
$78.2 PEN 269
25.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$696 MX$12.9K
$721 PEN 2,476
-3.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$481 MX$8,885
$343 PEN 1,179
40.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 MX$22.3K
$1,219 PEN 4,186
-0.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$892 MX$16.5K
$651 PEN 2,235
37.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,357 PEN 4,660
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oaxaca de Juarez
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$648 PEN 2,226
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.96
8.94
22.60%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oaxaca de Juarez
$481
Lima
$343 28.6% $137
Groceries & Markets
Oaxaca de Juarez
$222
Lima
$226 1.7% $3.8
Clothing & Footwear
Oaxaca de Juarez
$142
Lima
$112 21% $30
Eating Out
Oaxaca de Juarez
$140
Lima
$124 11.4% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oaxaca de Juarez
$98
Lima
$117 19.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Oaxaca de Juarez
$56
Lima
$46 17.1% $9.5
Getting Around
Oaxaca de Juarez
$16 *
Lima
$43 175% $28

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 $696 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $226 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Oaxaca de Juarez
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
04:38 4:38 AM
05:38 5:38 AM
1 h ahead of Oaxaca de Juarez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
258,913
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oaxaca de Juarez Lima 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oaxaca de Juarez
  • Lima

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
Oaxaca de Juarez vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Oaxaca de Juarez and in Lima?
Oaxaca de Juarez and Lima differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,154 vs $1,012 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 Oaxaca de Juarez compared to Lima?
You'd need roughly $1,731 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,518 in Lima 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 Oaxaca de Juarez and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $696 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Oaxaca de Juarez pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Oaxaca de Juarez or Lima?
All in, you'll spend $1,154 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,012 in Lima – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,154 in Oaxaca de Juarez, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Oaxaca de Juarez. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Oaxaca de Juarez and Lima?
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.
Is Oaxaca de Juarez or Lima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Oaxaca de Juarez and Lima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Oaxaca de Juarez or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Oaxaca de Juarez. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Oaxaca de Juarez vs other spots: cost of living compared

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