Kingston vs Lima

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 56% cheaper Lima +130 Mbps Moderate / Low
Nomad Cost

$2,904

Kingston

$1,284

Lima

Internet

89

Mbps

219

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Kingston

Low

Lima

Air Quality

5/5

Kingston

5/5

Lima

Healthcare

Low

Kingston

High

Lima

Population

579.1k

Kingston

8.9m

Lima

Kingston (Jamaica) 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

The monthly savings are substantial — Lima at $1284/mo costs 56% less than Kingston at $2904/mo, adding up to $19440 over a year.

For families, Kingston costs $2682.223037950736/mo compared to Lima's $2188.437491200074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lima has a clear edge at 219 Mbps (#26 globally) compared to Kingston's 89 Mbps (#93).

Quality of Life

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

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

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Kingston is January (around 32 degrees, 0mm rain, score 411), 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

KingstonLima
Nomad$2,904/mo$1,284/mo
Expat$1,481/mo$794/mo
Local$766/mo$625/mo
Family$2,682/mo$2,188/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

KingstonLima
City Speed
89 Mbps#93
219 Mbps#26
Country Speed85 Mbps200 Mbps

Environment & Health

KingstonLima
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionLowHigh
ClimateModerateHigh
Humidity7470

Quality of Life

KingstonLima
SafetyModerateLow
HealthcareLowHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Kingston
Lima
Jan
32°
0mm411
27°
0mm454
Feb
31°
0mm409
29°
0mm454
Mar
33°
1mm407
28°
0mm454
Apr
35°
1mm397
25°
0mm434
May
36°
0mm397
21°
0mm414
Jun
35°
1mm395
18°
0mm414
Jul
37°
0mm399
17°
0mm414
Aug
37°
0mm377
17°
0mm414
Sep
37°
1mm411
18°
0mm414
Oct
37°
1mm397
19°
0mm414
Nov
34°
3mm349
23°
0mm434
Dec
34°
0mm407
25°
0mm434

Who Should Choose Kingston?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $2682.223037950736/mo for families
  • Peak season in January — 32 degrees, score 411

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

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Kingston's $2904/mo, that is a 56% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Kingston Lima
ItemKingstonLimaDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$6.5$3.92
40%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$45.47$22.19
51%
McMeal or equivalent combo$6.5$5.22
20%
Cappuccino (regular)$3.49$2.66
24%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.95$2.09
7%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.25$3.92
17%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.02$0.86
16%
Water (0.33L)$0.7$0.57
19%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$3.39$1.22
64%
White bread (500g)$2.73$1.83
33%
White rice (1kg)$0.92$1.11
17%
Eggs (12)$2.9$1.81
38%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.77$4.99
14%
Beef round (1kg)$6.01$8.2
27%
Local cheese (1kg)$13.42$6.89
49%
Apples (1kg)$4.22$1.54
64%
Bananas (1kg)$2.72$1.02
63%
Oranges (1kg)$4.07$0.93
77%
Tomatoes (1kg)$2.41$0.98
59%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.02$0.74
63%
Onions (1kg)$2.22$0.89
60%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.93$0.72
63%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.07$0.72
33%
Wine, mid-range bottle$12.02$7.83
35%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.15$1.6
26%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.6$2.33
10%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$9.09$5.22
43%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.97$0.52
46%
Monthly transport pass$32.48$15.66
52%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.27$2.61
13%
Taxi per 1km$2.6$1.44
45%
Taxi 1hr waiting$9.42$6.27
33%
Gasoline (1L)$1.33$1.31
2%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$38,977.2$18,274.38
53%
Toyota Corolla (new)$34,144.74$21,697.31
36%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$133.62$71.32
47%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$40.65$30.91
24%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.06$0.18
67%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$52.33$37.19
29%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$13.32$12.4
7%
Cinema, 1 ticket$9.74$5.48
44%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$253.35$213.5
16%
International primary school/yr$1,380.44$5,851.01
76%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$32.02$43.81
27%
Summer dress (chain store)$26.91$28.35
5%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$64.5$71.57
10%
Men's leather business shoes$64.5$68.37
6%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$634.86$511.24
19%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$333.67$349.69
5%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,292.02$954.12
26%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$747.06$701.14
6%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$1,817.15$1,962.17
7%
Price per m², outside centre$1,882.24$1,483.1
21%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$584.66$489.76
16%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$7.58$8.29
9%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

Related Comparisons

See all comparisons