Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Huánuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Huánuco: $26.98 a month against $696 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$696

/mo nomad

Huánuco

🇵🇪 Peru

$26.98

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Huánuco

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

A single person spends $696 per month in Arequipa vs $27 in Huánuco, rent included.

Arequipa $696
Huánuco $27

A couple spends around $1,094 per month in Arequipa vs $78 in Huánuco, rent included.

Arequipa $1,094
Huánuco $78

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Arequipa vs $130 in Huánuco, rent included.

Arequipa $1,492
Huánuco $130

Arequipa costs about 2479% more than Huánuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arequipa and Huánuco are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 49% lower, Huánuco 98% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 PEN 11.69

$2.94 PEN 10.12

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.99 PEN 89.6

$14.38 PEN 49.57

80.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 PEN 19.74

Cappuccino

$2.50 PEN 8.62

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

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$0.60 PEN 2.05

36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 PEN 1.33

$0.28 PEN 0.96

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 PEN 7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 PEN 10.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.20

Eggs

$2.34 PEN 8.06

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PEN 21.58

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 PEN 15.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 PEN 24.70

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 PEN 5.91

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.26

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.91

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.43

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 PEN 2.15

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.30

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.71

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 PEN 17.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PEN 9.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 PEN 6.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 PEN 43.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.46

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

$19.0K PEN 65.3K

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

$25.3K PEN 87.3K

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

$23.50 PEN 81.0

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

$10.28 PEN 35.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 PEN 78.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 PEN 83.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 PEN 26.77

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 PEN 24.23

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

$73.9 PEN 255

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 PEN 23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 PEN 165

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 PEN 88.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 PEN 226

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 PEN 201

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 PEN 1,200

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 PEN 797

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,476

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 PEN 1,416

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 PEN 6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 PEN 3,353

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 PEN 2,085

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Arequipa: November 3, 2026

Last update for Huánuco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$231 33.3%

Huánuco

–

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$172 24.7%

Huánuco

–

Eating Out

Arequipa

$95 13.7%

Huánuco

–

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$89 12.8%

Huánuco

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Huánuco

–

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$38 5.5%

Huánuco

–

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Huánuco

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Arequipa versus $14 in Huánuco. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Huánuco

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

89,502

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Huánuco 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Huánuco

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 Huánuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 2479% more than Huánuco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,044 per month in Arequipa and $40 in Huánuco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $696 in Arequipa and $27 in Huánuco. That makes Huánuco about 96% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Arequipa and $14 in Huánuco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $696 in Arequipa and $27 in Huánuco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arequipa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $27 in Huánuco to $696 in Arequipa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.