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City comparison

Lima vs La Paz

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in La Paz cheaper — −48%

  • Family budget

    in La Paz cheaper — −22%

  • Internet

    in La Paz cheaper — −45%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Lima≈ $734–1,270S/ 2,509–4,345
    La Paz≈ $350–700BOB 4,200–8,400
    cheaper by 48%
  • Family groceries

    per month
    Lima≈ $359S/ 1,228
    La Paz≈ $252BOB 3,020
    cheaper by 30%
  • Family budget

    per month
    Lima≈ $665S/ 2,272
    La Paz≈ $519BOB 6,231
    cheaper by 22%
  • Internet

    per month
    Lima≈ $29–41S/ 99–139
    La Paz≈ $19BOB 229
    cheaper by 45%
  • Winter

    average
    Lima15–18 °C15–18 °C
    La Paz12 °C12 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Lima13 mm13 mm
    La Paz502 mm502 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Lima$151k – 260,500$151k – 260,500
    La Paz$120–190k$120–190k
    cheaper by 25%

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Housing

Lima

Buying an apartment

Apartment price per m²: San Isidro 2605 dollars, Barranco 2556, Miraflores 2464, Surco 1818, La Molina 1510 (Q1 2026, central bank BCRP).

OfficialBCRP: apartment sale prices by district of Lima, dollars per m², Q1 2025 - Q1 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Rent by district

A 100 m² three-bedroom apartment: Barranco 4345 soles a month, San Isidro 4182, Miraflores 3864, Surco 3070, La Molina 2509 (July 2026).

SpecialistInfobae: Urbania Index, apartment rents by district of Lima, July 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Lima →

La Paz

Apartment rent

A three-bedroom apartment by listings costs 4200-8400 Bs a month, median about 5500 Bs (about 460 dollars at 11.97). Calacoto is pricier, about 7000.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: rental of three-bedroom apartments in La Paz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Anticrético instead of rent

Instead of renting you can give the owner a large sum for a term and live without paying: a three-bedroom apartment in anticrético is about 40-55 thousand dollars.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: three-bedroom apartments in anticrético in La Paz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying an apartment

A three-bedroom apartment by listings costs 120-190 thousand dollars, median 148 thousand. In Calacoto about 218 thousand; a three-bedroom house about 230 thousand.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: sale of three-bedroom apartments in La Paz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in La Paz →

Money and prices

Lima

Groceries for a family

The INEI minimum food basket for Lima is 307 soles per person a month, about 1228 for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialINEI: Perú, evolución de la pobreza monetaria 2016-2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Family budget per month

A family of four in Lima counts as poor at spending below 2272 soles a month. The average Lima resident spends 1014 soles, about 4056 for four.

OfficialINEI: Perú, evolución de la pobreza monetaria 2016-2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about money and prices in Lima →

La Paz

Monthly family budget

A family of four in La Paz is considered poor with an income below 6231 Bs a month (about 520 dollars). This is the highest line among the cities in the INE table.

OfficialINE: poverty line and extreme poverty line per person per month by city, 2016 - December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Groceries for a family

The minimum food basket for a family of four in La Paz is about 3020 Bs a month (about 250 dollars) by the INE extreme poverty line for December 2025.

OfficialINE: poverty line and extreme poverty line per person per month by city, 2016 - December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in La Paz →

Family and kids

Lima

Private schools

Well-known private schools in Lima for 2026: 1600–4426 soles a month plus an entrance fee. The American School Roosevelt: from 1747 dollars a month.

SpecialistInfobae: cost of private schools in Lima for 2026 based on the list by Padres magazine · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about family and kids in Lima →

La Paz

Private and public schools

In 2025 the department of La Paz had 718 thousand students, about 95 thousand (13.2%) in private schools and kindergartens. Private school fees: not found.

OfficialINE with Ministry of Education data: students in public and private schools by department, 2011 - 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about family and kids in La Paz →

Healthcare

Lima

Healthcare: public insurance

With a foreigner's card (carné de extranjería), a family can take the public insurance SIS Independiente: 39 soles a month for one person, 115 for a family of four or more. There is also a free plan.

OfficialSIS: questions and rates of the SIS Independiente plan · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about healthcare in Lima →

La Paz

Hospital beds

The department of La Paz had 4294 hospital beds in 2024, about 724 inhabitants per bed. The national average is 669 inhabitants per bed.

OfficialINE with Ministry of Health data: hospital beds and inhabitants per bed by department, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in La Paz →

Transport

Lima

Jorge Chávez Airport

The new terminal opened on 30 May 2025: 30 million passengers in the first year, up to 40 million by 2026. The first flights were LATAM to Atlanta and Iberia from Madrid.

OfficialMTC: opening of the new terminal at Jorge Chávez airport · checked 29 Sep 2026

Getting around the city

The Metropolitano with a feeder route across the whole city is 3.50 soles; short trips on corridor buses are 1–1.50. The second metro line is free for now.

OfficialATU: how to save money on the Metropolitano and corridor buses · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Lima →

La Paz

Cable car

The Mi Teleférico cable car is mass transit in the city: in 2025 it carried 87.7 million passengers, about 7.3 million a month.

OfficialINE with Mi Teleférico data: passengers of the La Paz cable car by month, 2014 - 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

El Alto airport

The city is served by El Alto international airport in the neighbouring city, one of the three key ones per INE. A highway runs to Oruro, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.

OfficialINE: geographic information on Bolivia (altitude zones, roads, international airports) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in La Paz →

Climate

Lima

Winter

The coldest month is August: average minimum 14.6 degrees, maximum 18.4. July and September are almost the same; in February it is 19.4 and 26.5.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

There is almost no rain: about 13 mm a year, and no month above 5.4 mm. In winter, instead of rain there is garúa drizzle, which wets the streets but barely shows up in millimetres.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Humidity and grey skies

In winter humidity is above 90% and reaches 99%: fog, garúa drizzle, dense cloud cover by the sea. Because of the dampness, 15 degrees feels like 13–14.

SpecialistAndina: winter 2025 in Lima, SENAMHI forecast for temperature and humidity · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Lima →

La Paz

Winter climate

The mean temperature in June-August is about 11.7 degrees, and 11 to 15 all year round. About 20 in the daytime, about 6 at night, with frosts in some winters.

OfficialINE with SENAMHI data: mean temperature and precipitation by city by month, 1990 - 2026; annual tables by weather station, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Precipitation and seasons

About 500 mm of precipitation a year, 70% of it from December to March. May to August is dry: 5-19 mm a month.

OfficialINE with SENAMHI data: mean temperature and precipitation by city by month, 1990 - 2026; annual tables by weather station, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

A city at 3640 m

La Paz lies at about 3640 m, and neighbouring El Alto, where the airport is, is colder still: about 6 degrees on average in winter versus 12 in La Paz.

SpecialistOpenStreetMap: municipality of Nuestra Señora de La Paz, coordinates and elevation · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in La Paz →

Safety

Lima

Crime by zone

In 2025, 27.6% of Lima residents aged over 15 were victims of crime. In the zone with Miraflores and San Isidro it was 21.5%, in the east with La Molina 31.3%.

OfficialINEI: Victimización en el Perú 2025, ENAPRES survey · checked 29 Sep 2026

Earthquakes

The IGP geophysical institute expects an earthquake stronger than M8.8 near Lima with a tsunami above 8 m. The last one like that was in 1746; when the next will come is unknown.

OfficialIGP: the 1746 earthquake and the expected seismic scenario for Lima · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Lima →

La Paz

Crime reports

In 2024 police in the department of La Paz got 10.2 thousand crime reports, 1.5 thousand on robberies. Homicide reports in 2023: 69, against 228 in Santa Cruz.

OfficialINE with police data: crime reports in the department of La Paz by type, 2007 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in La Paz →

Internet and phone

Lima

Internet for remote work

WIN fibre in Lima: 500 Mbit/s for 99 soles a month, 850 for 119, 1000 for 139. The line is symmetric, traffic is unlimited, and the first month is cheaper.

SpecialistWIN: home fiber-optic internet plans for Lima and Callao · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Lima →

La Paz

Fiber internet

The state operator Entel sells home fiber at 200 Mbps for 229 Bs a month, 1000 Mbps for 450 Bs. Installation is 200 Bs, subject to an address check.

SpecialistEntel: home fiber internet, Simple plans · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in La Paz →

Services

Lima

Electricity tariff

Luz del Sur from August 2026: 75.56 centimos per kWh for consumption above 140 kWh and 2.66 soles a month. For 300 kWh the bill comes to about 229 soles.

OfficialLuz del Sur: electricity tariffs including IGV, pliego of 4 August 2026 (document “Tarifas - Setiembre 2026”) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Water and sewerage Sedapal

Water and sewerage: the first 10 m³ at 3.58 soles, more after that. A bill for 15 m³ is about 72 soles with IGV tax; this is a calculation based on the Sedapal tariff.

OfficialSunass: resolution 00145-2025-SUNASS-CD, Sedapal tariff structure for year 5 of the 2022-2027 period · checked 30 Sep 2026

Piped gas Cálidda

Piped gas from Cálidda, September 2026: about 1.73 soles per m³ with tax and 1.29 soles a month. For 30 m³ it comes to about 53 soles. The network is not available everywhere.

OfficialCálidda: tariff table for piped gas in Lima and Callao, service for September 2026 (Osinergmin) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about services in Lima →

La Paz

Bottled gas

Liquefied gas at a regulated price of 2.25 Bs per kg, a 10 kg cylinder is 22.50 Bs (under 2 dollars). We did not find the piped gas tariff.

OfficialANH: regulated prices of petroleum products on the domestic market, including liquefied gas (GLP) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Electricity from DELAPAZ

The average residential tariff of DELAPAZ in 2024 was 10.9 US cents per kWh without VAT, about 0.76 Bs. 300 kWh a month is about 227 Bs before tax.

OfficialAETN: statistical yearbook 2024, average tariff for the final consumer by category (DELAPAZ) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Water and sewerage from EPSAS

According to EPSAS (May 2024), the water tariff in La Paz and El Alto has not changed since 2009. The subsidized tariff is 1.78 Bs per m³ for use below 15 m³.

OfficialEPSAS: “The process is supervised by AAPS, EPSAS assures there is no water tariff hike” · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about services in La Paz →

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