Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Puerto Vallarta

Lima vs Puerto Vallarta

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 55% cheaper Lima +136 Mbps Low / Moderate

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Puerto Vallarta

Miguel Naranjo/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$2,863

Puerto Vallarta

Internet

219

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

Moderate

Puerto Vallarta

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Puerto Vallarta

Healthcare

High

Lima

Moderate

Puerto Vallarta

Population

8.9m

Lima

203.3k

Puerto Vallarta

Lima (Peru) and Puerto Vallarta (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

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Lima costs $1284/mo, saving 55% compared to Puerto Vallarta's $2863/mo — that's $18948 per year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Puerto Vallarta's $3240.54489670074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

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

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Puerto Vallarta peaks in January (30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 449). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaPuerto Vallarta

Nomad$1,284/mo$2,863/mo

Expat$794/mo$1,764/mo

Local$625/mo$926/mo

Family$2,188/mo$3,241/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaPuerto Vallarta

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

83 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaPuerto Vallarta

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighModerate

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity7055

Quality of Life

LimaPuerto Vallarta

SafetyLowModerate

HealthcareHighModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Puerto Vallarta

Jan

27°

0mm454

30°

0mm449

Feb

29°

0mm454

31°

0mm449

Mar

28°

0mm454

32°

0mm449

Apr

25°

0mm434

33°

0mm449

May

21°

0mm414

36°

0mm429

Jun

18°

0mm414

36°

1mm435

Jul

17°

0mm414

40°

2mm387

Aug

17°

0mm414

39°

5mm387

Sep

18°

0mm414

39°

3mm377

Oct

19°

0mm414

39°

0mm436

Nov

23°

0mm434

35°

0mm449

Dec

25°

0mm434

33°

0mm449

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 Puerto Vallarta?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $3240.54489670074/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 203.3k residents
Peak season in January — 30 degrees, score 449

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lima is the stronger pick. At $1284/mo it beats Puerto Vallarta's $2863/mo by 55%, and the 219 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Puerto Vallarta

ItemLimaPuerto VallartaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$7.74

49%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$35.32

37%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$6.32

17%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$2.73

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$1.93

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$3.09

21%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.92

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.74

23%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22$1.06

13%

White bread (500g)$1.83$1.66

White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.57

29%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.87

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$5.47

Beef round (1kg)$8.2$8.31

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$6.75

Apples (1kg)$1.54$2.33

34%

Bananas (1kg)$1.02$0.92

10%

Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.02

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.26

22%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.38

46%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.34

34%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.95

24%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$1.15

37%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$10.31

24%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.56

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$1.95

16%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$2.84

46%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.52

Monthly transport pass$15.66$25.78

39%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$2.58

Taxi per 1km$1.44$0.96

33%

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$10.31

39%

Gasoline (1L)$1.31$1.18

10%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$17,352.96

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$14,068.02

35%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$65.61

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$29.25

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.08

56%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19$26.05

30%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$16.76

26%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$5.16

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$184.36

14%

International primary school/yr$5,851.01$3,094.14

47%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$37.44

15%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$21.75

23%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$79.56

10%

Men's leather business shoes$68.37$81.87

16%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$785.83

35%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$463.76

25%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$1,414.26

33%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$1,161.5

40%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$2,713.01

28%

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$1,394.09

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76$443.49

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$13

36%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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