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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $652 per month in Arequipa vs $626 in Bandung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Arequipa vs $941 in Bandung, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,490 per month in Arequipa vs $1,255 in Bandung, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 4% more than Bandung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Arequipa and Bandung are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 51% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 13.78

$1.32 Rp 23.6K

208.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.88 PEN 94.5

$9.48 Rp 170.4K

194.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PEN 18.52

$3.31 Rp 59.4K

65.26%

Cappuccino

$2.58 PEN 8.73

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

73.15%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.76

$0.52 Rp 9,373

57.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.27 Rp 4,888

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.59

$3.31 Rp 59.5K

-32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 PEN 20.70

$3.52 Rp 63.2K

73.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 PEN 5.25

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.29

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.36

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

35.79%

Eggs

$2.07 PEN 7.00

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.57 PEN 18.87

$8.96 Rp 161.0K

-37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 PEN 17.87

$3.14 Rp 56.4K

67.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 25.68

$8.08 Rp 145.1K

-6.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 4.96

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

-38.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.99

$1.29 Rp 23.3K

-8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$1.73 Rp 31.0K

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.63

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

-50.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.01

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

-59.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.97

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

-78.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.52

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.42 Rp 7,597

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 PEN 17.10

$2.53 Rp 45.4K

99.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.21 PEN 17.65

$21.74 Rp 390.8K

-76.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 PEN 8.39

$2.12 Rp 38.1K

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PEN 7.47

$3.54 Rp 63.7K

-37.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.91

$0.30 Rp 5,370

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.26 Rp 184.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.08

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

198.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 6.92

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.92 PEN 43.79

$2.59 Rp 46.5K

398.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.48

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

100.00%

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

$18.7K PEN 63.5K

$24.4K Rp 438.8M

-23.31%

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

$25.4K PEN 85.9K

$25.8K Rp 462.8M

-1.55%

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

$39.23 PEN 133

$44.02 Rp 791.2K

-10.88%

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

$10.33 PEN 34.99

$4.47 Rp 80.4K

131.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.48 PEN 103

$22.86 Rp 410.8K

33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.96 PEN 74.4

$21.68 Rp 389.6K

1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 PEN 27.70

$6.60 Rp 118.7K

23.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PEN 15.11

$3.13 Rp 56.3K

42.49%

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

$59.9 PEN 203

$93.0 Rp 1.7M

-35.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,380 PEN 21.6K

$7,512 Rp 135.0M

-15.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.74 PEN 128

$41.31 Rp 742.5K

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.29 PEN 75.5

$30.79 Rp 553.3K

-27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 PEN 214

$58.6 Rp 1.1M

7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 PEN 191

$64.3 Rp 1.2M

-12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 PEN 826

$235 Rp 4.2M

3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 PEN 533

$152 Rp 2.7M

3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 PEN 1,851

$464 Rp 8.3M

17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 PEN 1,322

$247 Rp 4.4M

57.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 PEN 6,856

$705 Rp 12.7M

187.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 PEN 3,369

$305 Rp 5.5M

226.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 PEN 2,198

$277 Rp 5.0M

134.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

63.93%

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

Last update for Arequipa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bandung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Arequipa versus $235 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 134% 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 $28.00 in Arequipa versus $9.00 in Bandung. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Arequipa vs $214 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 4% 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 $977 per month in Arequipa and $939 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 $28.00 in Arequipa and $9.00 in Bandung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% 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 $652 in Arequipa and $626 in Bandung, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bandung costs $626 versus $652 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.