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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $719 per month in Arequipa vs $501 in Huancayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,136 per month in Arequipa vs $850 in Huancayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Arequipa vs $1,199 in Huancayo, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 43% more than Huancayo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Arequipa and Huancayo are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 47% lower, Huancayo 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PEN 11.92

$2.40 PEN 8.10

47.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.40 PEN 95.8

$35.30 PEN 119

-19.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 PEN 20.46

$7.09 PEN 23.92

-14.53%

Cappuccino

$2.59 PEN 8.75

$3.31 PEN 11.15

-21.75%

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

$0.85 PEN 2.86

$1.14 PEN 3.86

-25.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.63 PEN 2.14

-41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 PEN 7.07

$2.65 PEN 8.92

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 PEN 14.82

$4.43 PEN 14.95

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 PEN 4.60

$1.21 PEN 4.08

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 PEN 4.69

$1.05 PEN 3.56

32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.01

$1.33 PEN 4.49

11.28%

Eggs

$2.35 PEN 7.93

$2.52 PEN 8.49

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 PEN 21.97

$5.23 PEN 17.63

24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 PEN 15.44

$6.06 PEN 20.45

-24.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 PEN 25.92

$5.22 PEN 17.61

47.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 5.98

$1.50 PEN 5.07

18.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.26

$1.06 PEN 3.59

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.97

$0.59 PEN 1.99

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.59

$1.16 PEN 3.90

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.86 PEN 2.92

-20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.86 PEN 2.90

-20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.90

$0.57 PEN 1.93

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.56

$0.86 PEN 2.90

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 PEN 17.19

$6.02 PEN 20.31

-15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 PEN 17.27

$5.40 PEN 18.22

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 PEN 9.30

$1.94 PEN 6.53

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PEN 7.82

$3.33 PEN 11.24

-30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 PEN 1.05

$0.62 PEN 2.08

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 PEN 60.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.06

$1.90 PEN 6.39

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 PEN 7.14

$2.11 PEN 7.13

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.12 PEN 44.26

$7.38 PEN 24.88

77.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 PEN 5.27

$1.47 PEN 4.95

6.12%

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

$19.1K PEN 64.6K

$22.1K PEN 74.7K

-13.54%

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

$25.8K PEN 87.0K

$26.3K PEN 88.6K

-1.84%

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

$24.60 PEN 83.0

$35.07 PEN 118

-29.85%

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

$10.35 PEN 34.93

$11.94 PEN 40.29

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.49 PEN 79.3

$11.97 PEN 40.37

96.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.85 PEN 83.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PEN 27.13

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 PEN 24.77

$7.32 PEN 24.69

0.27%

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

$76.7 PEN 259

$180 PEN 607

-57.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 PEN 23.4K

$13.2K PEN 44.7K

-47.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 PEN 167

$53.9 PEN 182

-8.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 PEN 92.0

$36.45 PEN 123

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 PEN 227

$87.0 PEN 294

-22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 PEN 204

$81.6 PEN 275

-25.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 PEN 1,207

$332 PEN 1,119

7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 PEN 803

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 PEN 2,517

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 PEN 1,455

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 PEN 6,765

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,007 PEN 3,397

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$630 PEN 2,124

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

67.79%

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

Last update for Arequipa: September 14, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $358 in Arequipa versus $332 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 $35.00 in Huancayo. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Arequipa vs $166 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 43% more than Huancayo, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,079 per month in Arequipa and $752 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 $35.00 in Huancayo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $719 in Arequipa and $501 in Huancayo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $501 versus $719 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.