Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Cusco

🙂 Solo nomad: Arequipa is 18.8% cheaper than Cusco without rent, and 15.8% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Arequipa is 23.4% cheaper than Cusco without rent, and 3.6% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.15 PEN 14.05
$2.85 PEN 9.67
45.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.05 PEN 95.1
$28.17 PEN 95.5
-0.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 PEN 18.47
$5.48 PEN 18.59
-0.55%
Cappuccino
$2.52 PEN 8.55
$1.98 PEN 6.71
27.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 PEN 2.58
$1.24 PEN 4.20
-38.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 PEN 1.34
$0.74 PEN 2.51
-45.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 PEN 7.63
$2.16 PEN 7.31
4.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.04 PEN 20.47
$4.07 PEN 13.81
48.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 PEN 5.17
$1.43 PEN 4.84
6.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.28 PEN 4.34
$3.03 PEN 10.28
-57.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 PEN 4.30
$1.27 PEN 4.29
-
Eggs
$2.08 PEN 7.07
$3.88 PEN 13.15
-46.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.44 PEN 18.44
$4.75 PEN 16.10
14.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.24 PEN 17.78
$4.86 PEN 16.47
7.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 PEN 25.42
$6.97 PEN 23.62
7.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.49 PEN 5.06
$2.36 PEN 7.98
-36.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 PEN 4.00
$0.72 PEN 2.44
63.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 PEN 4.12
$1.28 PEN 4.34
-4.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.82 PEN 2.78
$0.89 PEN 3.02
-7.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 PEN 1.97
$1.05 PEN 3.56
-44.76%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 PEN 1.85
$0.95 PEN 3.21
-42.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 PEN 1.50
$0.66 PEN 2.22
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 PEN 2.46
$0.74 PEN 2.52
-1.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.87 PEN 16.50
$4.92 PEN 16.68
-1.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.18 PEN 17.55
$6.59 PEN 22.33
-21.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 PEN 8.42
$1.98 PEN 6.71
25.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 PEN 7.54
$3.04 PEN 10.32
-26.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 PEN 0.90
$0.29 PEN 0.98
-6.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.05 PEN 6.96
$1.71 PEN 5.80
19.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 PEN 6.97
$1.60 PEN 5.43
28.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.90 PEN 43.74
$2.72 PEN 9.21
374.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 PEN 5.24
$1.54 PEN 5.21
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.9K PEN 64.0K
$18.4K PEN 62.4K
2.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K PEN 85.5K
$22.3K PEN 75.6K
13.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.50 PEN 134
$33.15 PEN 112
19.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.48 PEN 35.54
$13.93 PEN 47.21
-24.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.17 PEN 102
$30.89 PEN 105
-2.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.27 PEN 72.1
$30.50 PEN 103
-30.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.50 PEN 28.81
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.52 PEN 15.34
$4.72 PEN 15.99
-4.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$59.6 PEN 202
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,330 PEN 21.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.11 PEN 129
$36.74 PEN 125
3.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.08 PEN 74.9
$28.24 PEN 95.7
-21.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$63.4 PEN 215
$62.3 PEN 211
1.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.1 PEN 187
$72.4 PEN 245
-23.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$244 PEN 826
$310 PEN 1,052
-21.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$160 PEN 543
$253 PEN 857
-36.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$539 PEN 1,827
$592 PEN 2,006
-8.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$390 PEN 1,322
$419 PEN 1,421
-6.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,038 PEN 6,908
$3,909 PEN 13.3K
-47.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$990 PEN 3,356
$1,828 PEN 6,198
-45.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arequipa
Cusco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$658 PEN 2,229
$429 PEN 1,454
53.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
11
36.36%

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

Last update for Arequipa: March 2, 2026

Last update for Cusco: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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