Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs São Paulo

Lima vs São Paulo

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 26% cheaper Lima +19 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

São Paulo

Renan/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,728

São Paulo

Internet

219

Mbps

200

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

São Paulo

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

São Paulo

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

São Paulo

Population

8.9m

Lima

12.3m

São Paulo

Lima (Peru) and São Paulo (Brazil) 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 São Paulo at $1728/mo, adding up to $5328 over a year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to São Paulo's $2073.809188894555/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lima edges ahead with 219 Mbps (#26 globally) versus São Paulo's 200 Mbps (#33) — a modest difference for most workflows.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and São Paulo.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while São Paulo peaks in May (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaSão Paulo

Nomad$1,284/mo$1,728/mo

Expat$794/mo$935/mo

Local$625/mo$593/mo

Family$2,188/mo$2,074/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaSão Paulo

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

200 Mbps#33

Country Speed200 Mbps188 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaSão Paulo

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7087

Quality of Life

LimaSão Paulo

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

São Paulo

Jan

27°

0mm454

31°

3mm332

Feb

29°

0mm454

32°

3mm342

Mar

28°

0mm454

31°

1mm385

Apr

25°

0mm434

29°

0mm412

May

21°

0mm414

27°

0mm414

Jun

18°

0mm414

24°

0mm414

Jul

17°

0mm414

22°

0mm394

Aug

17°

0mm414

26°

0mm414

Sep

18°

0mm414

31°

0mm414

Oct

19°

0mm414

27°

1mm395

Nov

23°

0mm434

30°

2mm347

Dec

25°

0mm434

30°

3mm321

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 São Paulo?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 200 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2073.809188894555/mo for families
Major city energy with 12.3m residents
Peak season in May — 27 degrees, score 414

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus São Paulo's $1728/mo, that is a 26% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima São Paulo

ItemLimaSão PauloDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$7.66

49%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$38.32

42%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$6.71

22%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$1.57

41%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$2.3

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$3.45

12%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$1.12

23%

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.79

28%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22$1.29

White bread (500g)$1.83$1.56

15%

White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.22

Eggs (12)$1.81$2.28

21%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$4.57

Beef round (1kg)$8.2$9.71

16%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$10.27

33%

Apples (1kg)$1.54$2.12

27%

Bananas (1kg)$1.02$1.48

31%

Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.07

13%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.92

49%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.32

44%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.31

32%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.91

21%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.55

24%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$7.66

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.35

16%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$2.86

19%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$2.3

56%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.84

38%

Monthly transport pass$15.66$45.98

66%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$1.05

60%

Taxi per 1km$1.44$0.77

47%

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$9.58

35%

Gasoline (1L)$1.31$1.26

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$21,458.41

15%

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$27,234.36

20%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$69.27

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$21.55

30%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.29

38%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19$25.04

33%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$32.46

62%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$8.62

36%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$414.71

49%

International primary school/yr$5,851.01$9,273.1

37%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$58.83

26%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$49.57

43%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$83.76

15%

Men's leather business shoes$68.37$65.93

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$567.7

10%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$341.37

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$990.82

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$687.44

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$2,542.37

23%

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$1,666.86

11%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76$445.67

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$9.4

12%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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