Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Quito

Lima vs Quito

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 35% cheaper Lima +111 Mbps Low / Low

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Quito

César Viteri/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,979

Quito

Internet

219

Mbps

108

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

Low

Quito

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Quito

Healthcare

High

Lima

Moderate

Quito

Population

8.9m

Lima

1.6m

Quito

Lima (Peru) and Quito (Ecuador) 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 35% compared to Quito's $1979/mo — that's $8340 per year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Quito's $2099.40625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Lima's 219 Mbps (global #26) — considerably faster than Quito's 108 Mbps (#74).

Quality of Life

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

Lima offers better healthcare infrastructure than Quito — 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 Quito peaks in September (20 degrees, 0mm rain, score 415). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaQuito

Nomad$1,284/mo$1,979/mo

Expat$794/mo$807/mo

Local$625/mo$600/mo

Family$2,188/mo$2,099/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaQuito

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

108 Mbps#74

Country Speed200 Mbps110 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaQuito

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighHigh

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity7080

Quality of Life

LimaQuito

SafetyLowLow

HealthcareHighModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Quito

Jan

27°

0mm454

18°

1mm313

Feb

29°

0mm454

19°

10mm231

Mar

28°

0mm454

19°

9mm302

Apr

25°

0mm434

18°

12mm292

May

21°

0mm414

18°

6mm313

Jun

18°

0mm414

17°

3mm328

Jul

17°

0mm414

18°

0mm395

Aug

17°

0mm414

18°

0mm395

Sep

18°

0mm414

20°

0mm415

Oct

19°

0mm414

19°

7mm313

Nov

23°

0mm434

18°

5mm302

Dec

25°

0mm434

17°

13mm200

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 Quito?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 108 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2099.40625/mo for families
Peak season in September — 20 degrees, score 415

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Lima is the stronger pick. At $1284/mo it beats Quito's $1979/mo by 35%, and the 219 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Quito

ItemLimaQuitoDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$3.75

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$42.5

48%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$7

25%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$2.53

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$2.5

16%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$3.5

11%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.78

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.62

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22$0.95

22%

White bread (500g)$1.83$1.7

White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.3

15%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.67

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$5.75

13%

Beef round (1kg)$8.2$6.67

19%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$5.24

24%

Apples (1kg)$1.54$1.63

Bananas (1kg)$1.02$0.95

Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.19

22%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.22

20%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.34

45%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.19

25%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.72

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$1.03

30%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$10

22%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.37

14%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$2.4

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$5.5

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.35

33%

Monthly transport pass$15.66$20.87

25%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$1.5

43%

Taxi per 1km$1.44$1.5

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$10

37%

Gasoline (1L)$1.31$0.76

42%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$19,990

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$27,300

21%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$41.9

41%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$37.62

18%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.11

39%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19$41.46

10%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$13.11

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$6.06

10%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$274.67

22%

International primary school/yr$5,851.01$7,465

22%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$54.06

19%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$46.67

39%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$100

28%

Men's leather business shoes$68.37$81.07

16%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$445.83

13%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$237.81

32%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$665.29

30%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$479.69

32%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$1,285

35%

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$980

34%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76$462.19

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$10.25

19%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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