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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $649 per month in Arequipa vs $647 in Bandung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,065 per month in Arequipa vs $949 in Bandung, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Arequipa vs $1,251 in Bandung, rent included.

Arequipa and Bandung have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Arequipa and Bandung are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, Bandung 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 PEN 14.06

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

222.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.09 PEN 95.5

$9.42 Rp 169.9K

198.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PEN 19.18

$3.43 Rp 61.9K

64.43%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.62

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

76.39%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.78

$0.49 Rp 8,769

67.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.25 Rp 4,479

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$3.28 Rp 59.1K

-34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 PEN 19.90

$3.57 Rp 64.4K

63.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

36.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 PEN 4.35

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.19

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

30.85%

Eggs

$2.15 PEN 7.29

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 PEN 18.75

$9.33 Rp 168.3K

-40.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 PEN 17.59

$3.02 Rp 54.5K

71.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 PEN 26.38

$7.92 Rp 142.9K

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.07

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

-37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 3.97

$1.33 Rp 24.0K

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

-29.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.61

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

-49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$1.48 Rp 26.7K

-62.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$2.67 Rp 48.1K

-79.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.51

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

-53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.46 Rp 8,284

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 PEN 16.56

$2.57 Rp 46.3K

89.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.12

$22.35 Rp 403.1K

-77.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 PEN 8.38

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 PEN 7.87

$3.49 Rp 62.9K

-33.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.30 Rp 5,395

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 Rp 190.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 PEN 7.02

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

171.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PEN 7.01

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

190.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.77 PEN 43.43

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

393.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.24

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

90.12%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

$24.4K Rp 439.6M

-23.78%

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

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

$26.4K Rp 476.2M

-3.51%

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

$39.14 PEN 133

$43.12 Rp 777.6K

-9.23%

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

$10.57 PEN 35.94

$4.52 Rp 81.6K

133.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 PEN 106

$22.94 Rp 413.8K

35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.22 PEN 72.1

$21.48 Rp 387.4K

-1.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.37

$6.62 Rp 119.4K

25.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 PEN 15.27

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

42.09%

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

$60.0 PEN 204

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

-36.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

$7,577 Rp 136.6M

-17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 PEN 126

$41.84 Rp 754.6K

-11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PEN 75.1

$30.57 Rp 551.2K

-27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 PEN 214

$59.2 Rp 1.1M

5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 PEN 191

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 817

$234 Rp 4.2M

2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 PEN 538

$156 Rp 2.8M

1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 PEN 1,836

$447 Rp 8.1M

20.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,314

$247 Rp 4.5M

56.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 PEN 6,650

$723 Rp 13.0M

170.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,377

$309 Rp 5.6M

221.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,210

$284 Rp 5.1M

129.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bandung: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Arequipa versus $234 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 129% higher in Arequipa. 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 $215 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $974 per month in Arequipa and $971 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.

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.

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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $649 in Arequipa and $647 in Bandung, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bandung costs $647 versus $649 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.