Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Kharkiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Kharkiv

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $649 per month in Arequipa vs $690 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,065 per month in Arequipa vs $1,069 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Arequipa vs $1,448 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Arequipa is about 6% cheaper than Kharkiv, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arequipa and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, Kharkiv 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 PEN 14.06

$7.36 ₴326

-43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.09 PEN 95.5

$27.16 ₴1,204

3.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PEN 19.18

$6.15 ₴273

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.62

$1.35 ₴59.7

88.15%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.78

$0.61 ₴26.84

34.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.41 ₴18.08

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$1.02 ₴45.37

111.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 PEN 19.90

$1.49 ₴66.3

292.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$1.10 ₴48.80

46.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 PEN 4.35

$0.57 ₴25.32

124.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.19

$1.24 ₴55.0

-0.81%

Eggs

$2.15 PEN 7.29

$1.55 ₴68.9

38.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 PEN 18.75

$7.98 ₴354

-30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 PEN 17.59

$4.01 ₴178

28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 PEN 26.38

$6.72 ₴298

15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.07

$0.85 ₴37.60

75.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 3.97

$1.62 ₴71.9

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$1.85 ₴82.0

-35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.61

$2.25 ₴99.7

-65.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.61 ₴27.19

-9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$0.56 ₴24.79

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.51

$1.03 ₴45.73

-56.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.54 ₴24.09

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 PEN 16.56

$2.57 ₴114

89.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.12

$4.52 ₴201

11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 PEN 8.38

$0.75 ₴33.45

228.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 PEN 7.87

$1.25 ₴55.6

84.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.35 ₴15.48

-17.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 PEN 7.02

$1.43 ₴63.4

44.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PEN 7.01

$0.25 ₴11.13

724.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.77 PEN 43.43

$2.84 ₴126

349.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.24

$1.34 ₴59.5

14.93%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

$26.8K ₴1.2M

-30.75%

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

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

$23.9K ₴1.1M

6.73%

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

$39.14 PEN 133

$114 ₴5,066

-65.74%

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

$10.57 PEN 35.94

$5.60 ₴248

88.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 PEN 106

$6.05 ₴268

413.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.22 PEN 72.1

$24.93 ₴1,106

-14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.37

$15.88 ₴704

-47.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 PEN 15.27

$4.88 ₴217

-7.99%

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

$60.0 PEN 204

$350 ₴15.5K

-82.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

$3,174 ₴140.8K

97.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 PEN 126

$56.0 ₴2,484

-33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PEN 75.1

$40.66 ₴1,803

-45.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 PEN 214

$83.8 ₴3,716

-25.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 PEN 191

$105 ₴4,642

-46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 817

$183 ₴8,095

31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 PEN 538

$131 ₴5,831

20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 PEN 1,836

$362 ₴16.1K

49.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,314

$241 ₴10.7K

60.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 PEN 6,650

$1,065 ₴47.2K

83.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,377

$592 ₴26.2K

67.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,210

$493 ₴21.8K

31.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-11.76%

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

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Arequipa versus $183 in Kharkiv. 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 32% 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 $27.00 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $154 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kharkiv costs about 6% more than Arequipa, 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 $974 per month in Arequipa and $1,035 in Kharkiv. 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 $27.00 in Kharkiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Kharkiv – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $649 in Arequipa and $690 in Kharkiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $649 versus $690 in Kharkiv. 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, Kharkiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.