Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs San Pedro de Atacama

Lima vs San Pedro de Atacama

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 74% cheaper San Pedro de Atacama +60 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

San Pedro de Atacama

Kurt Cotoaga/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$4,870

San Pedro de Atacama

Internet

219

Mbps

279

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

San Pedro de Atacama

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

San Pedro de Atacama

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

San Pedro de Atacama

Population

8.9m

Lima

2.5k

San Pedro de Atacama

Lima (Peru) and San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) 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 — 74% less than San Pedro de Atacama's $4870/mo. Over 12 months, the difference adds up to $43032.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to San Pedro de Atacama's $7949.120550558825/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

San Pedro de Atacama leads on internet connectivity at 279 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Lima's 219 Mbps (#26). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and San Pedro de Atacama.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while San Pedro de Atacama peaks in January (29 degrees, 0mm rain, score 388). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaSan Pedro de Atacama

Nomad$1,284/mo$4,870/mo

Expat$794/mo$3,413/mo

Local$625/mo$2,271/mo

Family$2,188/mo$7,949/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaSan Pedro de Atacama

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

279 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps279 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaSan Pedro de Atacama

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7016

Quality of Life

LimaSan Pedro de Atacama

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

San Pedro de Atacama

Jan

27°

0mm454

29°

0mm388

Feb

29°

0mm454

27°

0mm388

Mar

28°

0mm454

26°

0mm388

Apr

25°

0mm434

22°

0mm388

May

21°

0mm414

18°

0mm368

Jun

18°

0mm414

16°

0mm368

Jul

17°

0mm414

15°

0mm348

Aug

17°

0mm414

16°

0mm368

Sep

18°

0mm414

22°

0mm388

Oct

19°

0mm414

24°

0mm388

Nov

23°

0mm434

25°

0mm388

Dec

25°

0mm434

25°

0mm388

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 Pedro de Atacama?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 2.5k residents
Peak season in January — 29 degrees, score 388

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lima edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1284/mo it runs 74% cheaper than San Pedro de Atacama's $4870/mo, with 219 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima San Pedro de Atacama

ItemLimaSan Pedro de AtacamaDiff

🍽️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.

Related Comparisons

Lima San Pedro de Atacama