Mexico City vs Lima
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Mexico City $55–100, Lima $55–110 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Dec–Apr, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 🇵🇪 Lima | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $55–100 | $55–110 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $3–5 | $3–6 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $85–170 | $45–95cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.30cheaper | $0.40–0.80 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $850 | ≈ $940 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇲🇽 Mexico City
A 22-million-person capital of murals, mercados, and arguably the best street food on Earth — sitting a mile and a half up in the sky. Far safer and far more cosmopolitan than its reputation.
- Licorería Limantour$$$Nightlife
- Pujol$$$Restaurants
- Palacio de Bellas Artes$$Theater & shows
- Hanky Panky$$$Nightlife
- Contramar$$Restaurants
🇵🇪 Lima
A grey-skied capital of ten million on a desert cliff above the Pacific, and — genuinely — one of the best places to eat on earth. Most people transit through it. That's a mistake.
- Cevicherías at lunchtime$$Food
- Plaza Mayor & the centre$History
- Malecón cliff walk$Coast & neighbourhoods
- Mercado de Surquillo$Food
- Larco Museum$$History
Practicalities
| Mexico City | Lima | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Spanish. English is common in upscale restaurants and hotels, rare on the street — basic Spanish transforms your trip. | Spanish. English is common in Miraflores and Barranco, much less so elsewhere |
| Currency | Mexican peso (MX$). US$1 ≈ MX$18–19 | Peruvian sol (S/), around S/3.75 = $1 in mid-2026 |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6), no daylight saving | PET (UTC−5). No daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 127V (US plugs fit) | 220V, Types A and C — flat US-style and round European pins both common |
| Tap water | Don't drink it — hotels provide bottled; restaurant ice is purified and fine | Not drinkable. Bottled water throughout |
| Emergency | 911 | 105 police · 116 fire · 911 general |