Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,100 in Tepic, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Tepic despite lower rent and utilities.

Tepic
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,100
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Tepic versus $1,012 in Lima.

  • Tepic $1,100
  • Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,808 in Tepic versus $1,589 in Lima.

  • Tepic $1,808
  • Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,516 in Tepic versus $2,167 in Lima.

  • Tepic $2,516
  • Lima $2,167

Living in Tepic is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tepic 18% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$249
$4.40 PEN 15.10
205.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.40 MX$820
$35.17 PEN 121
26.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.21 MX$170
$6.89 PEN 23.65
33.67%
Cappuccino
$3.24 MX$59.9
$3.26 PEN 11.20
-0.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$31.90
$1.12 PEN 3.84
54.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.64
$0.62 PEN 2.11
98.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.65 PEN 9.09
6.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.02 MX$92.8
$4.41 PEN 15.15
13.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$27.89
$1.63 PEN 5.61
-7.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 MX$45.20
$2.56 PEN 8.78
-4.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 MX$31.24
$1.35 PEN 4.65
25.19%
Eggs
$2.11 MX$38.94
$2.90 PEN 9.96
-27.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.90 MX$90.5
$8.85 PEN 30.38
-44.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$175
$5.98 PEN 20.52
58.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.69 MX$216
$9.78 PEN 33.59
19.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 MX$52.0
$2.05 PEN 7.02
37.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 MX$29.26
$1.06 PEN 3.66
49.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.53
$1.35 PEN 4.64
46.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.72
$1.50 PEN 5.15
21.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.37
$0.88 PEN 3.03
129.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 MX$33.77
$0.92 PEN 3.15
98.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.98
$0.89 PEN 3.07
64.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 MX$19.83
$0.90 PEN 3.10
18.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.8
$5.90 PEN 20.27
-27.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.56 MX$195
$8.52 PEN 29.26
23.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.44
$1.88 PEN 6.45
-58.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 MX$62.1
$3.22 PEN 11.05
4.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Tepic
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 MX$15.42
$0.68 PEN 2.33
22.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.86 PEN 92.2
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 MX$41.34
$3.81 PEN 13.09
-41.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 MX$24.65
$2.02 PEN 6.93
-34.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.03 MX$222
$7.11 PEN 24.41
69.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.72 PEN 5.91
-16.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$392.2K
$22.3K PEN 76.6K
-4.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.4K
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
-6.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.05 MX$814
$73.1 PEN 251
-39.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 MX$224
$16.35 PEN 56.2
-25.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.94 MX$572
$27.47 PEN 94.3
12.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.03 MX$629
$31.90 PEN 110
6.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.32 MX$376
$19.41 PEN 66.7
4.69%
Cinema Ticket
$6.62 MX$122
$7.05 PEN 24.23
-6.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$253 MX$4,676
$182 PEN 627
38.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K MX$198.2K
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
-17.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 MX$1,105
$53.8 PEN 185
11.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.45 MX$729
$34.32 PEN 118
14.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$1,998
$82.8 PEN 284
30.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.4 MX$1,542
$78.2 PEN 269
6.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tepic
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 MX$9,568
$721 PEN 2,476
-28.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 MX$6,658
$343 PEN 1,179
4.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,027 MX$19.0K
$1,219 PEN 4,186
-15.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$752 MX$13.9K
$651 PEN 2,235
15.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,837 MX$33.9K
$2,414 PEN 8,292
-23.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,128 MX$20.8K
$1,357 PEN 4,660
-16.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tepic
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 MX$12.1K
$648 PEN 2,226
1.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
8.94
30.65%

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

Last update for Tepic: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tepic
$360
Lima
$343 4.7% $17
Groceries & Markets
Tepic
$253
Lima
$226 10.6% $27
Eating Out
Tepic
$210
Lima
$124 41% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
$131
Lima
$112 14.3% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
$87
Lima
$117 34.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
$47
Lima
$46 2.7% $1.3
Getting Around
Tepic
$12 *
Lima
$43 255% $31

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 $518 in Tepic and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepic pays 1% 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: $44.00 in Tepic vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Tepic
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
23:16 11:16 PM
2 h ahead of Tepic
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
371,387
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 19, 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 19, 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
  • Tepic Lima 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tepic
  • 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
Tepic vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tepic and in Lima?
Tepic and Lima differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,100 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tepic or Lima?
Average pay runs 1% higher in Tepic, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tepic and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Tepic 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?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Tepic. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tepic or Lima?
All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Tepic versus $1,012 in Lima – a 9% 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 $1,100 in Tepic, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Tepic. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tepic 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 Tepic or Lima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tepic 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: Tepic or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Tepic. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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