Lima vs Santa Cruz de la Sierra
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Lima edges it, 63 to 54, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Lima is stronger on visa ease, air quality, internet; Santa Cruz de la Sierra on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Coastal capital with a world-famous food scene
Full Lima profile →Where to stay in Lima →Bolivia's lowland boom city: hot, flat and at no altitude
Full Santa Cruz de la Sierra profile →Where to stay in Santa Cruz de la Sierra →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 54 | no data |
| Safety | 44 | 58 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 62 ✓ | 52 |
| Internet | 67 ✓ | 53 |
| Visa ease | 75 ✓ | 42 |
| Getting there & around | 52 ✓ | 41 |
| Climate | 100 ✓ | 92 |
| Air quality | 62 ✓ | 44 |
| Quality of life | 55 ✓ | 54 |
Cost
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,178 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 8.6 | 3.65 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.9 | 62.7 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 ✓ | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 71.7 yrs ✓ | 65.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 29.4 Mbps ✓ | 15.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 20 Mbps ✓ | 7.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 68 ✓ | 23 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Lima | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 ✓ | 11 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 22.2 µg/m³ ✓ | 30.1 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Lima or Santa Cruz de la Sierra?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Lima or Santa Cruz de la Sierra safer?
- Santa Cruz de la Sierra scores higher on safety (58 vs 44), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Lima or Santa Cruz de la Sierra?
- Lima: a measured median of 29.4 Mbps versus 15.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Lima vs Tarapoto
- Lima vs Salvador
- Santa Cruz de la Sierra vs Santo Domingo
- Santa Cruz de la Sierra vs Alexandria
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.