Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Ayacucho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $705 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
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Ayacucho Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$705

/mo nomad

Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Ayacucho

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 Ayacucho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $705 per month in Arequipa vs $474 in Ayacucho, rent included.

Arequipa $705
Ayacucho $474

A couple spends around $1,112 per month in Arequipa vs $766 in Ayacucho, rent included.

Arequipa $1,112
Ayacucho $766

A family of three spends $1,519 per month in Arequipa vs $1,058 in Ayacucho, rent included.

Arequipa $1,519
Ayacucho $1,058

Arequipa costs about 49% more than Ayacucho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arequipa and Ayacucho are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 48% lower, Ayacucho 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PEN 12.11

$1.69 PEN 5.82

107.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 PEN 96.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PEN 20.36

Cappuccino

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$1.78 PEN 6.12

43.26%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.84

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 PEN 1.23

$0.30 PEN 1.04

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 PEN 7.11

$1.47 PEN 5.08

40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 PEN 14.89

$4.38 PEN 15.09

-1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.40

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 PEN 4.88

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 PEN 5.28

$0.56 PEN 1.93

173.21%

Eggs

$2.35 PEN 8.10

$1.79 PEN 6.17

31.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 PEN 21.49

$2.95 PEN 10.18

111.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 PEN 15.13

$4.27 PEN 14.73

2.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 PEN 24.95

$5.66 PEN 19.50

27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 6.09

$1.18 PEN 4.08

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.24

$0.57 PEN 1.96

115.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.91

$0.60 PEN 2.09

88.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$0.56 PEN 1.93

76.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 PEN 2.28

$0.30 PEN 1.05

120.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.37

$0.30 PEN 1.04

130.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.76

$0.28 PEN 0.95

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 PEN 2.73

$0.88 PEN 3.03

-10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.70

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 PEN 17.25

$5.90 PEN 20.32

-15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 PEN 9.58

$2.98 PEN 10.27

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 PEN 7.86

$4.40 PEN 15.16

-48.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

$0.61 PEN 2.10

-50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.47 PEN 122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.20

$2.26 PEN 7.80

-7.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 PEN 6.86

$1.15 PEN 3.95

73.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.92 PEN 44.55

$4.31 PEN 14.85

199.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.29

$1.71 PEN 5.88

-10.53%

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

$18.9K PEN 65.1K

$9,956 PEN 34.3K

89.57%

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

$25.1K PEN 86.6K

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

103.86%

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

$23.75 PEN 81.9

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

$10.23 PEN 35.26

$11.47 PEN 39.52

-10.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 PEN 81.2

$17.16 PEN 59.2

37.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 PEN 85.1

$14.48 PEN 49.91

70.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.82 PEN 26.96

$29.41 PEN 101

-73.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 PEN 24.46

$4.44 PEN 15.31

59.68%

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

$75.3 PEN 259

$72.4 PEN 250

3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,659 PEN 23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.26 PEN 170

$17.29 PEN 59.6

184.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.33 PEN 90.8

$26.45 PEN 91.2

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 PEN 228

$102 PEN 353

-35.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.9 PEN 196

$103 PEN 355

-44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 PEN 1,229

$342 PEN 1,180

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 PEN 801

$88.5 PEN 305

162.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 PEN 2,441

$861 PEN 2,968

-17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 PEN 1,420

$232 PEN 799

77.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 PEN 6,859

$1,884 PEN 6,493

5.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 PEN 3,357

$1,739 PEN 5,995

-44.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 PEN 2,083

$471 PEN 1,624

28.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$232 32.9%

Ayacucho

$88 18.7% 61.9% $144

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.7%

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3% 31.1% $54

Eating Out

Arequipa

$100 14.2%

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8% 44.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$89 12.7%

Ayacucho

$112 23.6% 25.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$58 8.2%

Ayacucho

$29 * 6% 50.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$39 5.5%

Ayacucho

$23 4.9% 39.9% $16

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Ayacucho

$46 9.7% 246% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $356 in Arequipa versus $342 in Ayacucho. 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 28% higher in Arequipa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

99,427

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Arequipa Ayacucho 460 km

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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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 49% more than Ayacucho, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,058 per month in Arequipa and $711 in Ayacucho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $356 in Arequipa and $342 in Ayacucho. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $705 in Arequipa and $474 in Ayacucho. That makes Ayacucho about 33% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Arequipa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $705 in Arequipa and $474 in Ayacucho, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ayacucho – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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