Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Tulum

Lima vs Tulum

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 45% cheaper Lima +136 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Tulum

Earth/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$2,336

Tulum

Internet

219

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

Tulum

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Tulum

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

Tulum

Population

8.9m

Lima

20.6k

Tulum

Lima (Peru) and Tulum (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

The monthly savings are substantial — Lima at $1284/mo costs 45% less than Tulum at $2336/mo, adding up to $12624 over a year.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Tulum's $2406.056517554106/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Tulum.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Tulum peaks in February (30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 410). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaTulum

Nomad$1,284/mo$2,336/mo

Expat$794/mo$1,407/mo

Local$625/mo$687/mo

Family$2,188/mo$2,406/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaTulum

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

83 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaTulum

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7076

Quality of Life

LimaTulum

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Tulum

Jan

27°

0mm454

31°

2mm339

Feb

29°

0mm454

30°

0mm410

Mar

28°

0mm454

33°

1mm349

Apr

25°

0mm434

33°

0mm398

May

21°

0mm414

37°

0mm396

Jun

18°

0mm414

37°

6mm200

Jul

17°

0mm414

38°

2mm328

Aug

17°

0mm414

39°

4mm319

Sep

18°

0mm414

38°

5mm308

Oct

19°

0mm414

34°

3mm308

Nov

23°

0mm434

34°

1mm382

Dec

25°

0mm434

30°

0mm406

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 Tulum?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2406.056517554106/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 20.6k residents
Peak season in February — 30 degrees, score 410

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Tulum's $2336/mo, that is a 45% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Tulum

ItemLimaTulumDiff

🍽️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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