Barranco vs Jesús María: which is the better rental investment in Lima? (2026)

Let's start with the numbers, because that's all we have here. On long-term rentals, Jesús María nets 3.8% against Barranco's 3.7%. That's a difference of one-tenth of a percentage point. If you're deciding between these two on long-term yield alone, you're splitting hairs.

The price gap is the more interesting spread. Barranco sells for a median $2,529/m²; Jesús María for $2,017/m². So in Barranco you pay about 25% more per square metre for a yield that's marginally worse on long-term letting. On paper, Jesús María is the better long-term buy: cheaper entry, slightly higher net yield.

The picture flips on Airbnb. Barranco runs 1.5% gross versus Jesús María's 0.9% -- that's Barranco earning roughly two-thirds more on short-term. That fits what I see on the ground: Barranco is the district tourists actually want to stay in. Note these are gross figures, so they don't tell you what's left after cleaning, management and the higher vacancy that short-term brings.

My pick, on the data given: Jesús María if you're renting long-term and care about entry price and net return. Barranco if you're running Airbnb and can stomach the operational hassle for the higher gross. The long-term yields are close enough that the price difference and your rental strategy should decide it, not the 0.1-point yield gap.

One caveat. The Airbnb numbers here are gross only, and I have no figures on occupancy, seasonality or running costs for either district. That's a real hole if short-term is your plan. This is a read of the numbers, not investment advice.

Related: Barranco · Jesús María · Lima Yield Index