Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in San Miguel de Allende
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San Miguel de Allende Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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San Miguel de Allende

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende versus $996 in Lima.

San Miguel de Allende $1,641
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,594 in Lima.

San Miguel de Allende $2,591
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,541 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,191 in Lima.

San Miguel de Allende $3,541
Lima $2,191

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 65% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Miguel de Allende is 22% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.45 MX$284

$4.42 PEN 15.16

249.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.79 MX$786

$35.04 PEN 120

22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 MX$194

$6.84 PEN 23.44

54.24%

Cappuccino

$3.83 MX$70.3

$3.27 PEN 11.22

17.13%

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

$1.68 MX$30.81

$1.10 PEN 3.78

52.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.65

$0.65 PEN 2.22

64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 MX$68.1

$2.58 PEN 8.85

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 MX$110

$4.47 PEN 15.34

34.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$27.59

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 MX$60.9

$2.58 PEN 8.86

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 MX$32.86

$1.36 PEN 4.65

31.62%

Eggs

$2.94 MX$53.9

$2.95 PEN 10.11

-0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.38 MX$154

$9.10 PEN 31.19

-7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 MX$229

$5.81 PEN 19.91

114.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 MX$345

$9.83 PEN 33.68

90.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 MX$73.2

$2.01 PEN 6.89

98.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.67

$1.08 PEN 3.69

54.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 MX$52.8

$1.37 PEN 4.70

109.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 MX$52.6

$1.48 PEN 5.06

93.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.06

$0.96 PEN 3.30

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 MX$57.8

$0.85 PEN 2.92

270.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.18

$0.88 PEN 3.02

30.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.05

$0.87 PEN 2.97

50.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$79.2

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-26.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 MX$307

$8.81 PEN 30.21

89.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 MX$44.97

$1.92 PEN 6.57

27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$72.5

$3.20 PEN 10.98

23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.68 PEN 2.33

-16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.61 MX$121

$26.74 PEN 91.7

-75.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MX$81.1

$3.81 PEN 13.06

16.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.51 MX$82.7

$2.04 PEN 7.00

121.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 MX$204

$7.14 PEN 24.49

55.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.31

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-9.70%

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

$21.3K MX$390.3K

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

-4.13%

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

$24.6K MX$451.4K

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

-4.21%

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

$41.27 MX$758

$73.0 PEN 250

-43.50%

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

$16.18 MX$297

$16.26 PEN 55.7

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.42 MX$761

$27.60 PEN 94.6

50.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$682

$33.07 PEN 113

12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.82 MX$786

$19.49 PEN 66.8

119.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 MX$120

$7.39 PEN 25.33

-11.37%

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

$361 MX$6,631

$182 PEN 624

98.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,936 MX$90.6K

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

-62.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 MX$1,201

$52.6 PEN 180

24.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.9 MX$1,136

$34.23 PEN 117

80.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$2,106

$83.8 PEN 287

36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 MX$2,755

$79.0 PEN 271

89.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 MX$20.1K

$723 PEN 2,479

51.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$12.2K

$340 PEN 1,166

94.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 MX$43.9K

$1,184 PEN 4,060

102.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 MX$25.2K

$635 PEN 2,176

116.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 MX$50.3K

$2,449 PEN 8,394

11.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,636 MX$30.0K

$1,372 PEN 4,702

19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 MX$11.5K

$653 PEN 2,237

-3.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.05

8.94

34.79%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: 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 Miguel de Allende

$663 40.9%

Lima

$340 33.6% 48.7% $323

Groceries & Markets

San Miguel de Allende

$355 21.9%

Lima

$226 22.4% 36.2% $128

Eating Out

San Miguel de Allende

$243 15%

Lima

$124 12.3% 48.9% $119

Clothing & Footwear

San Miguel de Allende

$176 10.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 36.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Miguel de Allende

$99 6.1%

Lima

$117 11.6% 18.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Miguel de Allende

$50 3.1%

Lima

$48 4.7% 4.8% $2.4

Getting Around

San Miguel de Allende

$36 2.2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 21.4% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,097 in San Miguel de Allende and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

1 h ahead of San Miguel de Allende

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,452

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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Between locations

San Miguel de Allende Lima 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Miguel de Allende
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 Miguel de Allende vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Miguel de Allende and Lima differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,097 in San Miguel de Allende versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $361 in San Miguel de Allende 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 57% higher in San Miguel de Allende. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in San Miguel de Allende. 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 Miguel de Allende 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 65% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.