Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Potosi and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,299 in San Luis Potosi, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Potosi
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San Luis Potosi Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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San Luis Potosi

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,299

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Luis Potosi 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 San Luis Potosi and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,299 in San Luis Potosi versus $996 in Lima.

San Luis Potosi $1,299
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in San Luis Potosi versus $1,594 in Lima.

San Luis Potosi $2,028
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,757 in San Luis Potosi versus $2,191 in Lima.

San Luis Potosi $2,757
Lima $2,191

Living in San Luis Potosi is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Luis Potosi 3% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.08 MX$259

$4.42 PEN 15.16

218.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 MX$772

$35.04 PEN 120

19.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 MX$177

$6.84 PEN 23.44

40.79%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$61.6

$3.27 PEN 11.22

2.45%

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

$1.33 MX$24.45

$1.10 PEN 3.78

20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.78

$0.65 PEN 2.22

49.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.05

$2.58 PEN 8.85

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$87.4

$4.47 PEN 15.34

6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.67

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$48.23

$2.58 PEN 8.86

1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 MX$32.88

$1.36 PEN 4.65

31.62%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$48.53

$2.95 PEN 10.11

-10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$158

$9.10 PEN 31.19

-5.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 MX$186

$5.81 PEN 19.91

74.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 MX$210

$9.83 PEN 33.68

16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.4

$2.01 PEN 6.89

66.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.26

$1.08 PEN 3.69

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$40.94

$1.37 PEN 4.70

62.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.25

$1.48 PEN 5.06

73.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 MX$49.31

$0.96 PEN 3.30

180.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$0.85 PEN 2.92

269.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MX$20.23

$0.88 PEN 3.02

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$23.80

$0.87 PEN 2.97

49.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 MX$74.0

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-31.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 MX$257

$8.81 PEN 30.21

58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 MX$39.50

$1.92 PEN 6.57

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$71.4

$3.20 PEN 10.98

21.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.54

$0.68 PEN 2.33

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 MX$1,313

$26.74 PEN 91.7

167.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 MX$14.88

$3.81 PEN 13.06

-78.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 MX$30.86

$2.04 PEN 7.00

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 MX$180

$7.14 PEN 24.49

37.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$26.98

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-10.91%

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

$21.2K MX$388.7K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

-4.54%

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

$24.1K MX$442.1K

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

-6.18%

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

$41.85 MX$768

$73.0 PEN 250

-42.70%

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

$16.14 MX$296

$16.26 PEN 55.7

-0.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.49 MX$578

$27.60 PEN 94.6

14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.00 MX$569

$33.07 PEN 113

-6.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 MX$511

$19.49 PEN 66.8

42.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 MX$107

$7.39 PEN 25.33

-20.97%

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

$263 MX$4,821

$182 PEN 624

44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,591 MX$65.9K

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

-73.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MX$1,002

$52.6 PEN 180

3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 MX$721

$34.23 PEN 117

14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,876

$83.8 PEN 287

22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MX$1,444

$79.0 PEN 271

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.2K

$723 PEN 2,479

-8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 MX$8,547

$340 PEN 1,166

36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 MX$21.7K

$1,184 PEN 4,060

-0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 MX$14.2K

$635 PEN 2,176

21.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MX$25.7K

$2,449 PEN 8,394

-42.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 MX$16.2K

$1,372 PEN 4,702

-35.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 MX$16.0K

$653 PEN 2,237

33.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.68

8.94

41.83%

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

Last update for San Luis Potosi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Luis Potosi

$465 35.3%

Lima

$340 33.6% 26.9% $125

Groceries & Markets

San Luis Potosi

$300 22.7%

Lima

$226 22.4% 24.5% $73

Eating Out

San Luis Potosi

$214 16.2%

Lima

$124 12.3% 42% $90

Clothing & Footwear

San Luis Potosi

$124 9.4%

Lima

$112 11.1% 9.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Luis Potosi

$89 6.8%

Lima

$117 11.6% 30.6% $27

Getting Around

San Luis Potosi

$84 6.4%

Lima

$43 4.3% 48.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Luis Potosi

$43 3.2%

Lima

$48 4.7% 12.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $665 in San Luis Potosi and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Potosi pays 34% 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: $42.00 in San Luis Potosi vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 San Luis Potosi

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of San Luis Potosi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

845,941

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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San Luis Potosi Lima 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Luis Potosi
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

San Luis Potosi vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis Potosi and Lima differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,299 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in San Luis Potosi, 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: $665 in San Luis Potosi versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in San Luis Potosi versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in San Luis Potosi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,299 in San Luis Potosi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Luis Potosi. 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.

Safety-wise, San Luis Potosi 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in San Luis Potosi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.