Lima vs Toluca

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 16% cheaper Lima +136 Mbps Low / Low
Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,528

Toluca

Internet

219

Mbps

83

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

Low

Toluca

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Toluca

Healthcare

High

Lima

High

Toluca

Population

8.9m

Lima

489.3k

Toluca

Lima (Peru) and Toluca (Mexico) 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 edges ahead on affordability at $1284/mo compared to Toluca's $1528/mo — a 16% gap that matters over time.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Toluca's $2159.927733131464/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lima has a clear edge at 219 Mbps (#26 globally) compared to Toluca's 83 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Toluca.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Toluca peaks in March (23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 407). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaToluca
Nomad$1,284/mo$1,528/mo
Expat$794/mo$868/mo
Local$625/mo$617/mo
Family$2,188/mo$2,160/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaToluca
City Speed
219 Mbps#26
83 Mbps
Country Speed200 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaToluca
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionHighHigh
ClimateHighHigh
Humidity7023

Quality of Life

LimaToluca
SafetyLowLow
HealthcareHighHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima
Toluca
Jan
27°
0mm454
17°
0mm367
Feb
29°
0mm454
20°
0mm387
Mar
28°
0mm454
23°
0mm407
Apr
25°
0mm434
24°
0mm407
May
21°
0mm414
27°
0mm405
Jun
18°
0mm414
24°
0mm404
Jul
17°
0mm414
19°
3mm275
Aug
17°
0mm414
20°
4mm296
Sep
18°
0mm414
20°
7mm270
Oct
19°
0mm414
18°
0mm355
Nov
23°
0mm434
19°
0mm387
Dec
25°
0mm434
17°
0mm367

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 Toluca?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $2159.927733131464/mo for families
  • Smaller city feel with 489.3k residents
  • Peak season in March — 23 degrees, score 407

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Toluca's $1528/mo, that is a 16% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Toluca
ItemLimaTolucaDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$7.74
49%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$30.94
28%
McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$6.45
19%
Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$2.19
18%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$1.68
20%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$3.87
1%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.9
4%
Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.58
2%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.22$1.23
1%
White bread (500g)$1.83$1.88
3%
White rice (1kg)$1.11$1.53
27%
Eggs (12)$1.81$2.12
15%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$5.29
6%
Beef round (1kg)$8.2$9.01
9%
Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$6.28
9%
Apples (1kg)$1.54$2.49
38%
Bananas (1kg)$1.02$1.3
22%
Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.08
14%
Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1.36
28%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.21
39%
Onions (1kg)$0.89$1.26
29%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.82
12%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.83
13%
Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$11.09
29%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$1.27
21%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$2.47
6%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$3.38
35%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.62
16%
Monthly transport pass$15.66$30.94
49%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$2.19
16%
Taxi per 1km$1.44$1.8
20%
Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$7.74
19%
Gasoline (1L)$1.31$1.17
11%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$21,658.97
16%
Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$19,647.78
9%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$49.31
31%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$32.41
5%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.15
17%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$37.19$44.68
17%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$25.27
51%
Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$4.13
25%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$194.76
9%
International primary school/yr$5,851.01$3,506.69
40%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$45.68
4%
Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$47.27
40%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$87.5
18%
Men's leather business shoes$68.37$77.35
12%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$281.05
45%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$171.21
51%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$528.58
45%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$408.87
42%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$771.68
61%
Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$787.56
47%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$489.76$773.53
37%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$12.8
35%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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