Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Mexico City

Lima vs Mexico City

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 30% cheaper Lima +126 Mbps Low / Low

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Mexico City

Carlos Aguilar/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,824

Mexico City

Internet

219

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

Low

Mexico City

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Mexico City

Healthcare

High

Lima

High

Mexico City

Population

8.9m

Lima

8.9m

Mexico City

Lima (Peru) and Mexico City (Mexico) 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 30% less than Mexico City at $1824/mo, adding up to $6480 over a year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Mexico City's $2855.064884769062/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lima has a clear edge at 219 Mbps (#26 globally) compared to Mexico City's 93 Mbps (#84).

Quality of Life

Both Lima and Mexico City share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Mexico City.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Mexico City peaks in January (21 degrees, 0mm rain, score 466). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaMexico City

Nomad$1,284/mo$1,824/mo

Expat$794/mo$1,164/mo

Local$625/mo$816/mo

Family$2,188/mo$2,855/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaMexico City

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

93 Mbps#84

Country Speed200 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaMexico City

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity7018

Quality of Life

LimaMexico City

SafetyLowLow

HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Mexico City

Jan

27°

0mm454

21°

0mm466

Feb

29°

0mm454

24°

0mm466

Mar

28°

0mm454

27°

0mm466

Apr

25°

0mm434

28°

0mm466

May

21°

0mm414

31°

0mm433

Jun

18°

0mm414

28°

0mm463

Jul

17°

0mm414

25°

10mm266

Aug

17°

0mm414

25°

8mm282

Sep

18°

0mm414

25°

7mm282

Oct

19°

0mm414

21°

1mm422

Nov

23°

0mm434

24°

0mm466

Dec

25°

0mm434

21°

0mm446

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

Who Should Choose Mexico City?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2855.064884769062/mo for families
Major city energy with 8.9m residents
Peak season in January — 21 degrees, score 466

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Mexico City's $1824/mo, that is a 30% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Mexico City

ItemLimaMexico CityDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$7.74

49%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$39.97

44%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$6.7

22%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$2.71

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$2.58

19%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$4.13

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$1.07

20%

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.76

25%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22$1.32

White bread (500g)$1.83$2.02

White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.41

21%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.97

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$6.32

21%

Beef round (1kg)$8.2$9.43

13%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$7.74

11%

Apples (1kg)$1.54$2.48

38%

Bananas (1kg)$1.02$1.3

22%

Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.45

36%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.5

35%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.57

53%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.44

38%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.99

27%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.83

13%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$11.35

31%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.42

11%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$2.55

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$3.61

31%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.31

40%

Monthly transport pass$15.66$15.69

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$1.03

61%

Taxi per 1km$1.44$0.52

64%

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$6.19

Gasoline (1L)$1.31$1.2

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$19,596.21

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$19,925.13

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$48.85

32%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$26.67

14%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.1

44%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19$45.15

18%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$20.37

39%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$4.64

15%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$329.13

35%

International primary school/yr$5,851.01$7,425.93

21%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$50.84

14%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$34.61

18%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$84.28

15%

Men's leather business shoes$68.37$86.26

21%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$766.53

33%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$481.56

27%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$1,480.77

36%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$850.84

18%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$2,769.15

29%

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$1,695.8

13%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76$718.92

32%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$10.57

22%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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