Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Tamarindo

Lima vs Tamarindo

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 75% cheaper Lima +100 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Tamarindo

Joseph Piña/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$5,162

Tamarindo

Internet

219

Mbps

119

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

Tamarindo

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Tamarindo

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

Tamarindo

Population

8.9m

Lima

6.9k

Tamarindo

Lima (Peru) and Tamarindo (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 — 75% less than Tamarindo's $5162/mo. Over 12 months, the difference adds up to $46536.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Tamarindo's $6015.930410433504/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lima leads on internet connectivity at 219 Mbps (ranked #26 globally) versus Tamarindo's 119 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Tamarindo.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Tamarindo peaks in January (37 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaTamarindo

Nomad$1,284/mo$5,162/mo

Expat$794/mo$2,842/mo

Local$625/mo$1,719/mo

Family$2,188/mo$6,016/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaTamarindo

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

119 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps119 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaTamarindo

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7069

Quality of Life

LimaTamarindo

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Tamarindo

Jan

27°

0mm454

37°

0mm375

Feb

29°

0mm454

36°

0mm375

Mar

28°

0mm454

39°

0mm355

Apr

25°

0mm434

39°

0mm350

May

21°

0mm414

38°

3mm292

Jun

18°

0mm414

35°

12mm123

Jul

17°

0mm414

36°

10mm216

Aug

17°

0mm414

37°

8mm216

Sep

18°

0mm414

35°

8mm169

Oct

19°

0mm414

35°

9mm216

Nov

23°

0mm434

32°

13mm100

Dec

25°

0mm434

35°

1mm371

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 Tamarindo?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 119 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 6.9k residents
Peak season in January — 37 degrees, score 375

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lima edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1284/mo it runs 75% cheaper than Tamarindo's $5162/mo, with 219 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Tamarindo

ItemLimaTamarindoDiff

🍽️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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