Lima vs Nairobi

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Lima, Peru
🇵🇪Peru

Lima

74Freedom Score#35Global rank$1,367Per month

The gastronomic capital of the Americas — Lima pairs world-class Miraflores dining and a Pacific cliffside lifestyle with South America's most underrated value, fast internet, and a growing creative scene.

Nairobi, Kenya
🇰🇪Kenya

Nairobi

54Freedom Score#96Global rank$1,000Per month

Africa's fastest-growing digital hub — 0% tax on foreign income, Starlink-connected, English-speaking, with giraffes 20 minutes from your co-working space and world-class golf at Muthaiga.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseLimaNairobi
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,367$1,000✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$774$380✓
Meal, mid-range$12✓$14
Coworking deskper month$160$150✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper54.031.1✓

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureLimaNairobi
Safety
52
41
Healthcare
72
55
Walkability
70
40
English spoken
42
80
Food & dining
92
60
Nightlife
78
65
Outdoors
65
88
Nomad community
62
65
Climate quality
52
78
Public transit
55
40

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureLimaNairobi
Freedom Score74/100✓54/100
Global rankof 100 cities#35✓#96
Internet100 Mbps✓25 Mbps
Average temperature66°F65°F
Air quality55/10072/100✓
Airport connectivity78/100✓68/100
Nomad visa90 daysDN Visa
Headline tax rateon local income15%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Lima if internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (52 vs 41), it is more walkable and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Nairobi if runs $367/mo cheaper, rent is $394/mo lower, English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

What each city is known for

Lima

  • Back-to-back World's 50 Best Restaurant wins — unmatched food scene
  • Fast 100 Mbps fiber and a growing Barranco/Miraflores creative hub
  • Pacific cliffside malecón living at a fraction of coastal-city prices
  • Perfect US market alignment — open at 10:30am local time

Nairobi

  • 0% tax on foreign-sourced income for non-residents
  • Nairobi National Park: lions and rhinos 10km from CBD
  • Muthaiga Golf Club hosts DP World Tour — world-class courses
  • Digital Nomad visa (Class N) launched Oct 2024 — $55k income req

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Lima or Nairobi?
Lima scores higher on the Freedom Score (74/100 against 54/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Lima or Nairobi?
Nairobi is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,000 against $1,367, a difference of $367 a month or about $4,404 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $774/mo in Lima versus $380/mo in Nairobi.
Which is safer: Lima or Nairobi?
Lima scores higher on safety, 52/100 against 41/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Lima and Nairobi?
Lima averages 100 Mbps and Nairobi averages 25 Mbps, so Lima has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Lima or Nairobi?
Lima sits in Peru (90 days) and Nairobi in Kenya (DN Visa). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.