Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
Learn more

Asuncion Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Asuncion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arequipa and in Asuncion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $719 per month in Arequipa vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

Arequipa $719
Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Arequipa vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

Arequipa $1,114
Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $1,510 per month in Arequipa vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

Arequipa $1,510
Asuncion $2,221

Arequipa is about 32% cheaper than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Arequipa and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 46% lower, Asuncion 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 PEN 11.73

$6.66 ₲38.1K

-48.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.27 PEN 93.8

$43.46 ₲248.7K

-37.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 PEN 19.53

$6.63 ₲37.9K

-14.33%

Cappuccino

$2.47 PEN 8.48

$3.44 ₲19.7K

-28.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 PEN 2.82

$1.07 ₲6,096

-23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 PEN 1.32

$0.58 ₲3,325

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$1.85 ₲10.6K

11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 15.13

$1.70 ₲9,721

158.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.59

$1.25 ₲7,144

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.69

$1.49 ₲8,516

-8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 PEN 5.22

$1.35 ₲7,707

12.59%

Eggs

$2.25 PEN 7.75

$2.32 ₲13.3K

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 PEN 21.97

$9.85 ₲56.4K

-35.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 PEN 15.04

$5.20 ₲29.8K

-15.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 PEN 25.74

$9.91 ₲56.7K

-24.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 6.09

$2.99 ₲17.1K

-40.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.20

$1.23 ₲7,017

-0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$1.21 ₲6,921

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.53

$2.45 ₲14.0K

-57.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 PEN 2.20

$1.30 ₲7,464

-50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$1.34 ₲7,644

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 PEN 1.87

$0.84 ₲4,784

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.61

$0.69 ₲3,957

10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 PEN 17.82

$2.24 ₲12.8K

131.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.32

$9.02 ₲51.6K

-44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 PEN 9.37

$1.33 ₲7,597

104.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PEN 7.58

$1.68 ₲9,593

30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.57 ₲3,238

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 ₲217.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 PEN 6.90

$1.45 ₲8,289

38.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 PEN 6.78

$1.57 ₲9,008

25.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.00 PEN 44.70

$10.04 ₲57.4K

29.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.28

$1.21 ₲6,897

26.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.2K PEN 65.9K

$16.9K ₲96.9M

13.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.0K PEN 86.1K

$35.3K ₲202.2M

-29.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$24.05 PEN 82.7

$50.1 ₲286.6K

-51.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.15 PEN 34.91

$16.94 ₲96.9K

-40.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 PEN 79.2

$21.75 ₲124.5K

5.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 PEN 86.2

$36.50 ₲208.9K

-31.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 PEN 27.97

$14.89 ₲85.2K

-45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 PEN 25.48

$8.59 ₲49.2K

-13.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$74.8 PEN 257

$184 ₲1.1M

-59.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,596 PEN 22.7K

$5,873 ₲33.6M

12.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.85 PEN 168

$62.4 ₲357.2K

-21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.46 PEN 91.0

$55.4 ₲316.8K

-52.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 PEN 234

$104 ₲597.0K

-34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 PEN 197

$69.2 ₲395.8K

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PEN 1,217

$620 ₲3.6M

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 812

$373 ₲2.1M

-36.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 PEN 2,458

$1,050 ₲6.0M

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 PEN 1,436

$624 ₲3.6M

-33.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 PEN 6,847

$1,716 ₲9.8M

16.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 PEN 3,351

$1,242 ₲7.1M

-21.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 PEN 2,122

$723 ₲4.1M

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.15

47.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$236 33.3%

Asuncion

$373 35.8% 58.1% $137

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.6%

Asuncion

$213 20.4% 22.4% $39

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.8%

Asuncion

$134 12.8% 36.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Asuncion

$131 12.6% 45.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Asuncion

$89 8.5% 55.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Asuncion

$54 5.2% 34.7% $14

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8%

Asuncion

$50 4.8% 283% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Arequipa versus $620 in Asuncion. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Asuncion, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Arequipa versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $213 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

2 h ahead of Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Asuncion 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Asuncion

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arequipa vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asuncion costs about 46% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Arequipa and $1,574 in Asuncion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Arequipa and $43.00 in Asuncion. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Asuncion, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 versus $1,049 in Asuncion. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asuncion makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.