Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $726 per month in Arequipa vs $644 in Bandung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,150 per month in Arequipa vs $939 in Bandung, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,573 per month in Arequipa vs $1,234 in Bandung, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 13% more than Bandung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Arequipa and Bandung are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 47% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 PEN 12.04

$1.39 Rp 24.6K

158.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.83 PEN 100

$14.39 Rp 253.7K

107.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PEN 19.63

$3.31 Rp 58.3K

76.74%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 8.75

$1.57 Rp 27.6K

66.24%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.79

$0.42 Rp 7,400

97.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 PEN 1.22

$0.25 Rp 4,438

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 PEN 7.40

$3.15 Rp 55.6K

-29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 PEN 14.56

$3.02 Rp 53.3K

43.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 PEN 4.59

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 PEN 4.85

$1.00 Rp 17.6K

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 PEN 5.13

$0.82 Rp 14.4K

86.59%

Eggs

$2.36 PEN 7.91

$1.49 Rp 26.3K

58.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.46 PEN 21.66

$7.31 Rp 128.9K

-11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 PEN 14.98

$3.00 Rp 52.9K

49.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 PEN 24.95

$8.16 Rp 143.8K

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 PEN 6.14

$2.27 Rp 40.1K

-19.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.20

$1.08 Rp 19.0K

15.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 PEN 3.91

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

-25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.43

$0.97 Rp 17.2K

5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$1.09 Rp 19.3K

-38.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 PEN 2.42

$1.91 Rp 33.6K

-62.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.89

$0.69 Rp 12.2K

-18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 PEN 2.57

$0.44 Rp 7,708

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 PEN 17.51

$2.66 Rp 47.0K

96.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 PEN 17.74

$22.71 Rp 400.4K

-76.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 PEN 9.69

$1.84 Rp 32.4K

57.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.04

$3.31 Rp 58.4K

-27.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.97

$0.29 Rp 5,182

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.46 Rp 166.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 PEN 7.05

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

141.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 6.86

$0.52 Rp 9,156

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.85 PEN 43.08

$2.29 Rp 40.3K

461.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 PEN 5.08

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

94.87%

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

$18.6K PEN 62.3K

$21.2K Rp 373.5M

-12.34%

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

$26.0K PEN 87.3K

$29.5K Rp 520.9M

-11.88%

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

$24.42 PEN 81.9

$34.35 Rp 605.7K

-28.91%

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

$10.19 PEN 34.16

$4.29 Rp 75.6K

137.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.41 PEN 78.5

$19.31 Rp 340.4K

21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.53 PEN 85.6

$18.65 Rp 328.8K

36.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.36 PEN 28.04

$5.80 Rp 102.3K

44.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 PEN 25.16

$2.86 Rp 50.4K

162.24%

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

$75.6 PEN 253

$97.1 Rp 1.7M

-22.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,836 PEN 22.9K

$8,509 Rp 150.0M

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.44 PEN 166

$38.89 Rp 685.7K

27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.25 PEN 88.0

$33.08 Rp 583.1K

-20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 PEN 232

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 PEN 200

$70.4 Rp 1.2M

-15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 PEN 1,214

$219 Rp 3.9M

65.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 804

$183 Rp 3.2M

31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 PEN 2,452

$385 Rp 6.8M

89.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,412

$268 Rp 4.7M

57.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 PEN 6,688

$718 Rp 12.7M

177.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,016 PEN 3,406

$310 Rp 5.5M

227.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 PEN 2,198

$285 Rp 5.0M

129.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

31.81%

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

Last update for Arequipa: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bandung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Arequipa versus $219 in Bandung. 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 130% higher in Arequipa, 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 $30.00 in Arequipa versus $14.00 in Bandung. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Arequipa vs $197 in Bandung – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 13% more than Bandung, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Arequipa and $966 in Bandung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandung, 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 $30.00 in Arequipa and $14.00 in Bandung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Arequipa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $726 in Arequipa and $644 in Bandung, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bandung costs $644 versus $726 in Arequipa. 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 Bandung. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arequipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.