Lima, the capital city of Peru, is a bustling metropolis that offers digital nomads a range of options when it comes to accommodation. The city is home to budget-friendly hostels, luxurious hotels, and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for a shared place, or a private penthouse suite, Lima has something for everyone.
To find accommodations in Lima, I used mainly AirBNB, which had tons of listings in the city. The best prices, however, will be found on location. My recommendation for Lima, as for most of South America, is to join local expat or digital nomad groups on social media (Facebook groups are usually the easiest to find). Do this a month or two ahead of your trip, and see what the people currently on location recommend using, or if they know of any good deals or good landlords looking to rent.
Another way to go about doing this, if you speak Spanish well enough, is to get a short term AirBNB for 1-2 weeks, and using that time to scout out a better deal or better neighborhood.
In terms of location, I would recommend 3 neighborhoods: Barranco if you’re the artsy, hippie type. Miraflores if you want to live in the foreigner bubble (it has the most western services and co-working spaces), or Magdalena del Mar if you prefer living with the local middle class along the coast.
Personally, I’ve stayed in Magdalena del Mar, Miraflores, San Miguel, San Isidro and La Victoria.
Quick note: I would not recommend you venture in La Victoria alone, and avoid the north end of San Miguel as it borders Callao, one of the worst neighborhoods in terms of safety.
A map of Lima with the safest areas in green, areas which are fine during the day, but which I would avoid alone at night in orange, and areas I recommend against visiting in red.
No matter which part of the city you choose to live in, cost will be the biggest benefit of living in Lima. For example, you can rent gorgeous, modern oceanfront condos in Lima for the cost of a suburb closet in a similarly sized North American or European city.
For most of my readers, an average clean apartment, in a middle-class, safe neighborhood (Magdalena del Mar, San Isidro, Barranco, San Miguel) can be found in the $600 to $900 range. In Miraflores, the foreigner district, an average 1 bedroom condo will cost you around $1000-$1300 a month.
Miraflores - 2 Bedrooms - $1300/Month
A luxurious corner unit with North and West views, with a nice balcony overlooking the pacific ocean. Rooftop pool, gym, security, cable TV and a solid, 100mbps+ internet connection.
If you’re really trying to save on costs, San Miguel and Lince are probably the cheapest neighborhood I would personally stay in safety wise. Other areas may be cheaper, but will be significantly more unsafe. In general, avoid renting in the northern part and outside of the central areas. As with the rest of South America, the further out from city center, the poorer the area.
Magdalena del Mar - Studio - $850/Month
A more cozy, and cheaper, unit. Beautiful ocean view, a pool on the ground floor and a gym. 24 hour security as well, with friendly building staff and located near many services.
Personally, I like being close to a mall, bazaar or other place where I can easily shop for many things in one location. Often, when travelling, you will move in to a unit that’s missing something essential, or you’ll need some adaptor or wire. Being close to a mall or commercial area makes that much easier, especially early on when you’re still getting to know your surroundings.
I’ve written a full Cost of Living Guide for Lima, so if you want a global overview of prices check that one out.
Magdalena del Mar is such a neighborhood as it’s near Plaza San Miguel which has a bit of everything, and not too far of an Uber to Real Plaza Salaverry for more upscale shops.
San Isidro - 1 Bedroom - $900/Month
Away from the coast, this unit lies right in front of the financial district. If you like city skyline views, this is the spot. This place came with weekly cleaning service, 24/7 security. It is located across from a mall strip with many services, and a 24/7 convenience store.
Another thing of note – Peru uses mostly Type A & C power outlets. Many of the plugs you’ll encounter will support dual type, but an adapter from A to C or vice versa (or B to A if you have B types) will come in handy.
Finally, you may want to adjust your location based on the season. During winters (June, July, August & September) you will find that weather on the coast gets VERY humid, and quite chilly at night – around 15C – 60F on average. I prefered the more central parts of the city during winter for those reasons, and would recommend you keep this in mind depending on when you visit!
