Havana vs Lima

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 29% cheaper Lima +216 Mbps Moderate / Low
Nomad Cost

$1,816

Havana

$1,284

Lima

Internet

3

Mbps

219

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Havana

Low

Lima

Air Quality

5/5

Havana

5/5

Lima

Healthcare

Moderate

Havana

High

Lima

Population

2.2m

Havana

8.9m

Lima

Havana (Cuba) 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 29% compared to Havana's $1816/mo — that's $6384 per year.

For families, Havana costs $2495.7375/mo compared to Lima's $2188.437491200074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lima's 219 Mbps (global #26) — considerably faster than Havana's 3 Mbps (#198).

Quality of Life

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

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

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Havana is February (around 26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 444), 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

HavanaLima
Nomad$1,816/mo$1,284/mo
Expat$1,215/mo$794/mo
Local$713/mo$625/mo
Family$2,496/mo$2,188/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

HavanaLima
City Speed
3 Mbps#198
219 Mbps#26
Country Speed3 Mbps200 Mbps

Environment & Health

HavanaLima
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionModerateHigh
ClimateHighHigh
Humidity8070

Quality of Life

HavanaLima
SafetyModerateLow
HealthcareModerateHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Havana
Lima
Jan
30°
0mm429
27°
0mm454
Feb
26°
0mm444
29°
0mm454
Mar
32°
0mm429
28°
0mm454
Apr
33°
0mm444
25°
0mm434
May
38°
0mm392
21°
0mm414
Jun
36°
7mm357
18°
0mm414
Jul
38°
2mm400
17°
0mm414
Aug
38°
5mm372
17°
0mm414
Sep
38°
4mm377
18°
0mm414
Oct
32°
1mm383
19°
0mm414
Nov
31°
0mm442
23°
0mm434
Dec
28°
0mm429
25°
0mm434

Who Should Choose Havana?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $2495.7375/mo for families
  • Major city energy with 2.2m residents
  • Peak season in February — 26 degrees, score 444

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 Havana's $1816/mo by 29%, and the 219 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Havana Lima
ItemHavanaLimaDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10$3.92
61%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$40$22.19
45%
McMeal or equivalent combo$7$5.22
25%
Cappuccino (regular)$1.91$2.66
28%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.5$2.09
16%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3$3.92
23%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.28$0.86
62%
Water (0.33L)$1.63$0.57
65%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$3.52$1.22
65%
White bread (500g)$1.18$1.83
36%
White rice (1kg)$1.85$1.11
40%
Eggs (12)$1.64$1.81
9%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$6.07$4.99
18%
Beef round (1kg)$11.59$8.2
29%
Local cheese (1kg)$4.85$6.89
30%
Apples (1kg)$6.24$1.54
75%
Bananas (1kg)$1.1$1.02
7%
Oranges (1kg)$1.12$0.93
17%
Tomatoes (1kg)$2.05$0.98
52%
Potatoes (1kg)$1.82$0.74
59%
Onions (1kg)$2.34$0.89
62%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.86$0.72
16%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.98$0.72
27%
Wine, mid-range bottle$10$7.83
22%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.49$1.6
7%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.71$2.33
27%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.5$5.22
33%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.1$0.52
81%
Monthly transport pass$20$15.66
22%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$1$2.61
62%
Taxi per 1km$0.5$1.44
65%
Taxi 1hr waiting$15$6.27
58%
Gasoline (1L)$1.14$1.31
13%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$80,000$18,274.38
77%
Toyota Corolla (new)$81,500$21,697.31
73%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$37.14$71.32
48%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$165$30.91
81%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.26$0.18
31%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$16.67$37.19
55%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$13.75$12.4
10%
Cinema, 1 ticket$1.12$5.48
80%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$70$213.5
67%
International primary school/yr$15,166.67$5,851.01
61%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$55.5$43.81
21%
Summer dress (chain store)$44.33$28.35
36%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$79.17$71.57
10%
Men's leather business shoes$78$68.37
12%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$532.86$511.24
4%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$222.5$349.69
36%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,625$954.12
41%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$730$701.14
4%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$490.89$1,962.17
75%
Price per m², outside centre$268.23$1,483.1
82%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$35.75$489.76
93%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.73$8.29
31%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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