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Lima vs Oaxaca cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ช Lima
๐ฒ๐ฝ Oaxaca
At a glance
- Where Oaxaca is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (49%โ), Transit (38%โ), Laundry (38%โ)
- Where Lima is clearly cheaper: Hotel night (41%โ), Bottled water (26%โ), Massage (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Oaxaca is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: safety โ Lima 3 vs Oaxaca 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lima | Oaxaca | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S/ 20$5.41 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Lima โ16% |
| Street food1 item | S/ 9$2.43 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Lima โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S/ 59$15.9 | MX$ 300$16.1 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | S/ 12$3.24 | MX$ 60$3.23 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | S/ 10$2.7 | MX$ 50$2.69 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S/ 26$7.03 | MX$ 130$6.99 | similar |
| Bottled water | S/ 2.2$0.59 | MX$ 15$0.81 | Lima โ26% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S/ 3.5$0.95 | MX$ 22$1.18 | Lima โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S/ 12$3.24 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Lima โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S/ 8$2.16 | MX$ 45$2.42 | Lima โ11% |
| Transitone ride | S/ 3.2$0.86 | MX$ 10$0.54 | Oaxaca โ38% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S/ 50$13.5 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Oaxaca โ20% |
| Hotel night3-star | S/ 200$54.1 | MX$ 1,700$91.4 | Lima โ41% |
| Studio rent (month) | S/ 1,750$473 | MX$ 7,500$403 | Oaxaca โ15% |
| Laundry | S/ 8$2.16 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Oaxaca โ38% |
| SIM card1 week data | S/ 30$8.11 | MX$ 150$8.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | S/ 30$8.11 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Oaxaca โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | S/ 90$24.3 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Lima โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | S/ 100$27 | MX$ 400$21.5 | Oaxaca โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S/ 37$10 | MX$ 95$5.11 | Oaxaca โ49% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lima or Oaxaca?
Lima is 16% cheaper than Oaxaca. Daily budget $103 vs $145; a month $1,835 vs $1,751.
Which is easier to travel, Lima or Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is easier: Oaxaca 2.8/5 vs Lima 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lima and Oaxaca?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lima is about $1,835 and Oaxaca about $1,751 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.