Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs San José

Lima vs San José

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 57% cheaper Lima +88 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

San José

César Badilla Miranda/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$2,999

San José

Internet

219

Mbps

131

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

San José

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

San José

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

San José

Population

8.9m

Lima

339.6k

San José

Lima (Peru) and San José (Costa Rica) 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

Lima is significantly cheaper for digital nomads at $1284/mo — 57% less than San José's $2999/mo. Over 12 months, the difference adds up to $20580.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to San José's $3537.651015428123/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lima leads on internet connectivity at 219 Mbps (ranked #26 globally) versus San José's 131 Mbps (#65). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and San José.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while San José peaks in January (32 degrees, 0mm rain, score 406). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaSan José

Nomad$1,284/mo$2,999/mo

Expat$794/mo$1,586/mo

Local$625/mo$1,011/mo

Family$2,188/mo$3,538/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaSan José

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

131 Mbps#65

Country Speed200 Mbps119 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaSan José

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7083

Quality of Life

LimaSan José

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

San José

Jan

27°

0mm454

32°

0mm406

Feb

29°

0mm454

31°

0mm406

Mar

28°

0mm454

34°

0mm403

Apr

25°

0mm434

34°

1mm392

May

21°

0mm414

33°

5mm324

Jun

18°

0mm414

30°

17mm211

Jul

17°

0mm414

32°

13mm303

Aug

17°

0mm414

32°

12mm303

Sep

18°

0mm414

31°

15mm242

Oct

19°

0mm414

30°

15mm242

Nov

23°

0mm434

28°

20mm165

Dec

25°

0mm434

29°

1mm334

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 San José?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 131 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 339.6k residents
Peak season in January — 32 degrees, score 406

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lima edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1284/mo it runs 57% cheaper than San José's $2999/mo, with 219 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima San José

ItemLimaSan JoséDiff

🍽️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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