Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Oaxaca

Lima vs Oaxaca

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 26% cheaper Lima +136 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Oaxaca

ryan doyle/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,741

Oaxaca

Internet

219

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

Oaxaca

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Oaxaca

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

Oaxaca

Population

8.9m

Lima

255.0k

Oaxaca

Lima (Peru) and Oaxaca (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 26% less than Oaxaca at $1741/mo, adding up to $5484 over a year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Oaxaca's $1936.720116910397/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lima has a clear edge at 219 Mbps (#26 globally) compared to Oaxaca's 83 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Oaxaca.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Oaxaca peaks in January (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 407). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaOaxaca

Nomad$1,284/mo$1,741/mo

Expat$794/mo$983/mo

Local$625/mo$553/mo

Family$2,188/mo$1,937/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaOaxaca

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

83 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaOaxaca

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7050

Quality of Life

LimaOaxaca

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Oaxaca

Jan

27°

0mm454

27°

0mm407

Feb

29°

0mm454

28°

0mm407

Mar

28°

0mm454

32°

0mm387

Apr

25°

0mm434

33°

0mm387

May

21°

0mm414

35°

0mm367

Jun

18°

0mm414

29°

2mm350

Jul

17°

0mm414

29°

4mm324

Aug

17°

0mm414

29°

4mm345

Sep

18°

0mm414

29°

5mm314

Oct

19°

0mm414

26°

2mm345

Nov

23°

0mm434

27°

0mm407

Dec

25°

0mm434

24°

0mm407

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 Oaxaca?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1936.720116910397/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 255.0k residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 407

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Oaxaca's $1741/mo, that is a 26% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Oaxaca

ItemLimaOaxacaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92—

—

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

—

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22—

—

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66—

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92—

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86—

—

Water (0.33L)$0.57—

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22—

—

White bread (500g)$1.83—

—

White rice (1kg)$1.11—

—

Eggs (12)$1.81—

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99—

—

Beef round (1kg)$8.2—

—

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89—

—

Apples (1kg)$1.54—

—

Bananas (1kg)$1.02—

—

Oranges (1kg)$0.93—

—

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98—

—

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74—

—

Onions (1kg)$0.89—

—

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72—

—

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72—

—

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83—

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33—

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22—

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52—

—

Monthly transport pass$15.66—

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61—

—

Taxi per 1km$1.44—

—

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27—

—

Gasoline (1L)$1.31—

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38—

—

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31—

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32—

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91—

—

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18—

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19—

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48—

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5—

—

International primary school/yr$5,851.01—

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81—

—

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35—

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57—

—

Men's leather business shoes$68.37—

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24—

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69—

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12—

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14—

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17—

—

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76—

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29—

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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