Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cancun vs Lima

Cancun vs Lima

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 40% cheaper Lima +136 Mbps Moderate / Low

Cancun

Gerson Repreza/Unsplash

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,129

Cancun

$1,284

Lima

Internet

Mbps

219

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cancun

Low

Lima

Air Quality

5/5

Cancun

5/5

Lima

Healthcare

Low

Cancun

High

Lima

Population

628.3k

Cancun

8.9m

Lima

Cancun (Mexico) and Lima (Peru) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Lima costs $1284/mo, saving 40% compared to Cancun's $2129/mo — that's $10140 per year.

For families, Cancun costs $2862.568870350781/mo compared to Lima's $2188.437491200074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lima's 219 Mbps (global #26) — considerably faster than Cancun's 83 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Cancun has a stronger safety profile than Lima, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Lima offers better healthcare infrastructure than Cancun — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cancun is April (around 33 degrees, 0mm rain, score 451), while Lima peaks in January (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CancunLima

Nomad$2,129/mo$1,284/mo

Expat$1,327/mo$794/mo

Local$818/mo$625/mo

Family$2,863/mo$2,188/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CancunLima

City Speed

83 Mbps

219 Mbps#26

Country Speed83 Mbps200 Mbps

Environment & Health

CancunLima

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateHigh

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity8070

Quality of Life

CancunLima

SafetyModerateLow

HealthcareLowHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cancun

Lima

Jan

31°

1mm390

27°

0mm454

Feb

28°

0mm439

29°

0mm454

Mar

33°

1mm427

28°

0mm454

Apr

33°

0mm451

25°

0mm434

May

36°

0mm431

21°

0mm414

Jun

36°

7mm272

18°

0mm414

Jul

38°

2mm379

17°

0mm414

Aug

39°

3mm339

17°

0mm414

Sep

39°

8mm354

18°

0mm414

Oct

33°

4mm359

19°

0mm414

Nov

33°

1mm374

23°

0mm434

Dec

29°

1mm379

25°

0mm434

Who Should Choose Cancun?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2862.568870350781/mo for families
Peak season in April — 33 degrees, score 451

Who Should Choose Lima?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1284
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 219 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2188.437491200074/mo for families
Major city energy with 8.9m residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 454

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lima is the stronger pick. At $1284/mo it beats Cancun's $2129/mo by 40%, and the 219 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Cancun Lima

ItemCancunLimaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$9.28$3.92

58%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$41.26$22.19

46%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.8$5.22

10%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.54$2.66

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.02$2.09

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.09$3.92

21%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.15$0.86

25%

Water (0.33L)$0.95$0.57

40%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.18$1.22

White bread (500g)$1.53$1.83

16%

White rice (1kg)$1.3$1.11

15%

Eggs (12)$1.9$1.81

Chicken fillets (1kg)$6.15$4.99

19%

Beef round (1kg)$9.33$8.2

12%

Local cheese (1kg)$8.64$6.89

20%

Apples (1kg)$2.9$1.54

47%

Bananas (1kg)$1.22$1.02

16%

Oranges (1kg)$1.52$0.93

39%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.37$0.98

28%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.44$0.74

49%

Onions (1kg)$1.68$0.89

47%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.64$0.72

11%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.77$0.72

Wine, mid-range bottle$9.28$7.83

16%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.52$1.6

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.26$2.33

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.3$5.22

37%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.62$0.52

16%

Monthly transport pass$26.91$15.66

42%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.58$2.61

Taxi per 1km$1.83$1.44

21%

Taxi 1hr waiting$10.31$6.27

39%

Gasoline (1L)$1.18$1.31

10%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$12,247.63$18,274.38

33%

Toyota Corolla (new)$17,075.52$21,697.31

21%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$79.93$71.32

11%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$24.44$30.91

21%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.14$0.18

22%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$30.62$37.19

18%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$8.38$12.4

32%

Cinema, 1 ticket$3.61$5.48

34%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$168.63$213.5

21%

International primary school/yr$5,595.24$5,851.01

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$41.26$43.81

Summer dress (chain store)$34.33$28.35

17%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$72.2$71.57

Men's leather business shoes$69.1$68.37

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$572.99$511.24

11%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$335.43$349.69

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$969.18$954.12

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$733.43$701.14

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,041.23$1,962.17

47%

Price per m², outside centre$962.62$1,483.1

35%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$657.96$489.76

26%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.58$8.29

22%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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