Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Huancayo Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Huancayo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $650 per month in Arequipa vs $464 in Huancayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Arequipa vs $798 in Huancayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Arequipa vs $1,132 in Huancayo, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 40% more than Huancayo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arequipa and Huancayo are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 51% lower, Huancayo 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 14.32

$2.19 PEN 7.69

85.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.21 PEN 99.3

$33.34 PEN 117

-15.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 PEN 20.00

$7.00 PEN 24.63

-18.86%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 9.18

$2.59 PEN 9.10

0.77%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.88

$0.93 PEN 3.29

-11.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.30

$0.60 PEN 2.13

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PEN 7.70

$2.20 PEN 7.74

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 PEN 20.69

$3.78 PEN 13.31

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.40

$1.13 PEN 3.98

35.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.46

$0.94 PEN 3.30

35.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$1.30 PEN 4.57

-6.15%

Eggs

$2.06 PEN 7.24

$2.31 PEN 8.14

-10.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 PEN 18.93

$5.04 PEN 17.75

6.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 PEN 18.51

$5.40 PEN 19.01

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 PEN 26.22

$5.07 PEN 17.85

46.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.15

$1.42 PEN 4.99

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$1.13 PEN 3.96

7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.17

$0.53 PEN 1.88

124.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.71

$1.09 PEN 3.83

-29.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.95

$0.80 PEN 2.80

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.90

$0.81 PEN 2.84

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.55

$0.58 PEN 2.05

-24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.66

$0.80 PEN 2.81

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 PEN 17.41

$5.71 PEN 20.09

-13.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PEN 17.14

$5.25 PEN 18.50

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.43

$1.72 PEN 6.04

39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PEN 8.15

$3.03 PEN 10.68

-23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 1.03

$0.58 PEN 2.05

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.80 PEN 59.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.33

$1.80 PEN 6.33

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 PEN 7.44

$2.19 PEN 7.72

-3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 PEN 45.12

$8.25 PEN 29.05

55.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 PEN 5.64

$1.30 PEN 4.58

23.08%

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

$18.7K PEN 65.9K

$19.5K PEN 68.8K

-4.31%

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

$25.0K PEN 88.0K

$24.2K PEN 85.1K

3.42%

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

$39.83 PEN 140

$33.11 PEN 117

20.30%

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

$10.73 PEN 37.77

$10.93 PEN 38.48

-1.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 PEN 108

$11.01 PEN 38.76

178.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 PEN 75.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 PEN 28.93

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 PEN 15.44

$7.01 PEN 24.68

-37.38%

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

$59.9 PEN 211

$217 PEN 764

-72.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,271 PEN 22.1K

$8,091 PEN 28.5K

-22.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 PEN 130

$50.9 PEN 179

-27.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 PEN 77.5

$35.46 PEN 125

-37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 PEN 217

$88.9 PEN 313

-30.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 PEN 194

$90.6 PEN 319

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 PEN 861

$309 PEN 1,089

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 PEN 549

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 PEN 1,908

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 PEN 1,350

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 PEN 7,023

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,002 PEN 3,526

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$631 PEN 2,222

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

48.37%

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

Last update for Arequipa: April 27, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Arequipa versus $309 in Huancayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $33.00 in Huancayo. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Arequipa vs $155 in Huancayo – so Huancayo 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 Huancayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 40% more than Huancayo, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $975 per month in Arequipa and $696 in Huancayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huancayo, 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 $33.00 in Huancayo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Arequipa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $650 in Arequipa and $464 in Huancayo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $464 versus $650 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 Huancayo. 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.