Lima vs San Jose
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
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.
San Jose
Costa Rica's capital and gateway to pura vida — a Digital Nomad visa, territorial tax, and rainforest, volcanoes, and beaches all within reach.
The short answer
- San Jose scores higher overall, 82/100 vs 74/100
- Lima is cheaper by $158/mo — about $1,896 a year
- Lima is the safer of the two, 52/100 vs 44/100
- Lima has faster internet, 100 Mbps vs 35 Mbps
Cost of living
Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.
| Expense | Lima | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable budgetper month, all in | $1,367✓ | $1,525 |
| Rent, 1BR city centre | $774 | $686✓ |
| Meal, mid-range | $12 | $12 |
| Coworking deskper month | $160 | $137✓ |
| Cost of living indexlower is cheaper | 54.0 | 33.9✓ |
Quality of life
Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.
| Measure | Lima | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | ||
| Healthcare | ||
| Walkability | ||
| English spoken | ||
| Food & dining | ||
| Nightlife | ||
| Outdoors | ||
| Nomad community | ||
| Climate quality | ||
| Public transit |
Scores, connectivity and paperwork
| Measure | Lima | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Score | 74/100 | 82/100✓ |
| Global rankof 100 cities | #35 | #15✓ |
| Internet | 100 Mbps✓ | 35 Mbps |
| Average temperature | 66°F | 68°F |
| Air quality | 55/100✓ | 40/100 |
| Airport connectivity | 78/100✓ | 70/100 |
| Nomad visa | 90 days | Costa Rica DN visa |
| Headline tax rateon local income | 15% | 10% |
Which should you choose?
Choose Lima if runs $158/mo cheaper, internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (52 vs 44) and it is more walkable.
Choose San Jose if rent is $88/mo lower, English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.
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
San Jose
- Costa Rica Digital Nomad visa with tax-free foreign income
- US market opens at 8:30am — trade early, explore by noon
- Gateway to rainforest, volcanoes, and both coasts
- Stable democracy with the best healthcare in Central America