Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Chiclayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,000 in Chiclayo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chiclayo despite lower rent and utilities.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Chiclayo
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Chiclayo Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Chiclayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Chiclayo

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $1,000 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Arequipa $709
Chiclayo $1,000

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $1,591 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Arequipa $1,117
Chiclayo $1,591

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $2,181 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Arequipa $1,524
Chiclayo $2,181

Arequipa is about 29% cheaper than Chiclayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Arequipa and Chiclayo are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 48% lower, Chiclayo 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.87

$5.16 PEN 17.71

-32.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 PEN 95.8

$34.54 PEN 119

-19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 PEN 20.37

$8.50 PEN 29.18

-30.24%

Cappuccino

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$4.48 PEN 15.38

-45.98%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$0.83 PEN 2.85

-2.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.46 PEN 1.57

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 PEN 7.16

$8.53 PEN 29.31

-75.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 PEN 14.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$2.19 PEN 7.52

-38.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$2.29 PEN 7.87

-40.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$2.20 PEN 7.56

-34.09%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.85

$2.30 PEN 7.90

-0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PEN 21.47

$6.53 PEN 22.43

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 PEN 15.75

$6.24 PEN 21.43

-26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.16

$9.76 PEN 33.53

-24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$2.48 PEN 8.52

-29.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$1.84 PEN 6.31

-35.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$2.48 PEN 8.52

-54.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$1.81 PEN 6.22

-45.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.29

$1.11 PEN 3.81

-39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$2.15 PEN 7.40

-68.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$0.65 PEN 2.23

-13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.60

$0.94 PEN 3.23

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 PEN 17.62

$5.15 PEN 17.70

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 PEN 17.80

$12.34 PEN 42.38

-58.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.17

$1.43 PEN 4.90

86.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PEN 7.90

$1.87 PEN 6.43

22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.80 PEN 2.73

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.18 PEN 100

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$3.21 PEN 11.03

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$2.98 PEN 10.24

-32.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.01 PEN 44.68

$6.57 PEN 22.58

98.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.28

$1.31 PEN 4.51

17.56%

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

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

$24.3K PEN 83.4K

-22.05%

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

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

$24.5K PEN 84.0K

2.72%

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

$23.36 PEN 80.2

$49.23 PEN 169

-52.55%

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

$10.26 PEN 35.24

$26.60 PEN 91.4

-61.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 PEN 80.5

$31.39 PEN 108

-25.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 PEN 86.1

$61.2 PEN 210

-58.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 PEN 27.47

$24.44 PEN 83.9

-67.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 PEN 25.24

$7.69 PEN 26.39

-4.42%

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

$75.3 PEN 258

$254 PEN 871

-70.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

$4,069 PEN 14.0K

62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 PEN 164

$50.7 PEN 174

-5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 PEN 90.7

$59.3 PEN 204

-55.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PEN 232

$202 PEN 694

-66.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 PEN 198

$151 PEN 518

-61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,192

$238 PEN 818

45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 813

$147 PEN 505

60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,471

$435 PEN 1,494

65.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 PEN 1,439

$256 PEN 880

63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 PEN 6,740

$1,111 PEN 3,816

76.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 PEN 3,397

$1,088 PEN 3,735

-9.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 PEN 2,125

$495 PEN 1,701

24.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

36.36%

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiclayo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$237 33.4%

Chiclayo

$147 14.7% 37.8% $90

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.5%

Chiclayo

$242 24.2% 39.4% $68

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.9%

Chiclayo

$168 * 16.8% 71.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Chiclayo

$208 20.8% 132% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Chiclayo

$107 10.7% 87.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Chiclayo

$77 7.7% 92.4% $37

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Chiclayo

$50 5.1% 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 $347 in Arequipa versus $238 in Chiclayo. 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 25% higher in Arequipa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $35.00 in Chiclayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $242 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Chiclayo

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

60,325

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Chiclayo 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Chiclayo

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 Chiclayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiclayo costs about 41% 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 $1,063 per month in Arequipa and $1,501 in Chiclayo. 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 $28.00 in Arequipa and $35.00 in Chiclayo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Chiclayo, 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 $709, than in Chiclayo at $1,000. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiclayo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $1,000 in Chiclayo. 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, Chiclayo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.