Lima vs Mérida

By the 2020 census the municipality of Mérida has 995 thousand residents, the city itself 922 thousand. 19% of residents were born in another Mexican state.

OfficialINEGI: 2020 census, results by locality for Yucatán (ITER) · checked 6 Oct 2026

A two-bedroom in Temozón Norte is mostly 15-17k pesos for 70-100 m², in Altabrisa 32-38k, in Montejo 21-27k, in Cholul and Villas del Sol 11.5-15k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

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

A two-bedroom apartment in listings is about 16,750 pesos a month, half between 15,000 and 22,900. Of 311 offers, 61 are under 15k and 116 above 20k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Three-bedroom house: 1034 listings up to 4M pesos, 1355 from 4 to 6M, 1475 above. First-page median 6.65M, about 23k per square meter.

SpecialistMercado Libre: three-bedroom houses for sale in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

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

INEGI's urban food basket is 2562.58 pesos per person a month, 10,250 for a family of four (August 2026). A nationwide figure, the food minimum.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

INEGI's urban poverty line is 4905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). A floor without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

Micole's estimate for Yucatán: primary school 4000-12,000 pesos a month, kindergarten 3000-8000, international and IB schools 15,000-35,000. Plus an annual fee.

SpecialistMicole: how much a private school costs in Yucatán in 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

According to INEGI, Mérida has 13 private medical facilities with 337 beds (2025). Guadalajara, for comparison, has 76 and 1473. Public hospitals not counted.

OfficialINEGI: statistics of private health facilities (ESEP) 2025, report 28/26 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

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

The airport is 7 km from the main square, about 9 minutes without traffic. In August 2026: 374 thousand passengers, almost all domestic, 35 thousand international.

OfficialASUR: airport passenger traffic for August 2026 (filing on the BMV stock exchange) · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

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

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

The hottest month is May: on average 36.1 degrees by day and 21.3 at night. From April to September the mean maximum is 34-36 degrees.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

About 1050 mm a year, 71% of it from June to October, 120-175 mm a month. March and April are the driest, about 25 mm.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

The coolest month is January: on average 31.3 degrees by day and 17 at night. There is no winter as such; it is the mildest time of the year.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

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

The last strong hit was Isidore in September 2002: it made landfall as a category 3 near Telchac, and its eyewall passed over Mérida. Milton in 2024 passed by at sea.

OfficialNHC: Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Isidore (AL102002) · checked 6 Oct 2026

In June 2026, 38.2% of adults in Mérida felt unsafe versus 59.8% nationwide. Homicides in 2024: 33, about 3 per 100,000 residents.

OfficialINEGI: ENSU, perceived safety by city, June 2026 (report 27/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

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

Telmex: from 389 pesos for 120 Mbps to 1399 for a gigabit. Totalplay 100 Mbps for 390, Megacable 1000 Mbps for 1000 pesos on promotion. Prices are nationwide.

SpecialistExpansión: Telmex, Totalplay, Megacable and Izzi internet packages, September 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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: 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 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

JAPAY water from 1 Feb 2026: up to 20 m³ a flat charge by city zone, 67-107 pesos. 15 m³ costs 99-104 pesos, with sewerage (plus 50%) 149-156.

OfficialJAPAY: water and sewerage tariffs from 1 February 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

LP gas price cap in Mérida for 27 Sep - 3 Oct 2026: 20.66 pesos per kg, 11.16 per liter. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 413 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Yucatán has the hot-climate CFE tariffs 1C and 1D: cheap kWh up to 850-1000 a month, summer relief until 31 October. 1000 kWh over two months on 1D costs 2255 pesos.

SpecialistRiviera Maya News: a proposal to move Yucatán to CFE tariff 1F · checked 6 Oct 2026