Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and La Merced Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and La Merced

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $639 per month in Arequipa vs $523 in La Merced, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,078 per month in Arequipa vs $864 in La Merced, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,516 per month in Arequipa vs $1,205 in La Merced, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 22% more than La Merced, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arequipa and La Merced are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, La Merced 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.24 PEN 14.33

$4.08 PEN 13.81

3.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.05 PEN 94.9

$32.98 PEN 112

-14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 PEN 18.26

$6.88 PEN 23.28

-21.51%

Cappuccino

$2.60 PEN 8.80

$2.62 PEN 8.84

-0.76%

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

$0.76 PEN 2.57

$0.96 PEN 3.25

-20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 PEN 1.22

$0.64 PEN 2.18

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.56

$2.19 PEN 7.39

2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 PEN 19.61

$3.98 PEN 13.45

45.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.36

$1.42 PEN 4.79

11.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.31

$1.98 PEN 6.70

-35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PEN 4.32

$1.24 PEN 4.18

3.23%

Eggs

$2.08 PEN 7.05

$2.19 PEN 7.39

-5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.43 PEN 18.37

$6.89 PEN 23.30

-21.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 PEN 17.51

$5.48 PEN 18.53

-5.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 PEN 25.40

$8.54 PEN 28.87

-12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.10

$0.91 PEN 3.06

65.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.99

$0.40 PEN 1.35

195.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 3.96

$0.29 PEN 0.99

303.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.61

$0.67 PEN 2.25

14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.27 PEN 0.90

118.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.85

$0.43 PEN 1.46

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.49

$0.54 PEN 1.81

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 PEN 2.60

$0.86 PEN 2.92

-10.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 PEN 16.26

$5.52 PEN 18.68

-12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 PEN 16.96

$7.54 PEN 25.48

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.13

$1.76 PEN 5.95

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 PEN 7.90

$2.94 PEN 9.94

-20.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.06

$3.31 PEN 11.18

-36.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 6.91

$2.19 PEN 7.40

-6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.90 PEN 43.64

$8.25 PEN 27.89

56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 PEN 5.27

$1.31 PEN 4.42

19.08%

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

$19.1K PEN 64.6K

$19.3K PEN 65.2K

-0.92%

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

$24.7K PEN 83.4K

$24.5K PEN 82.8K

0.73%

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

$40.46 PEN 137

$55.8 PEN 189

-27.44%

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

$10.35 PEN 35.00

$12.38 PEN 41.88

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 PEN 101

$23.63 PEN 79.9

26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.85 PEN 73.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.22

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 PEN 15.41

$7.11 PEN 24.06

-35.86%

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

$59.2 PEN 200

$221 PEN 746

-73.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,382 PEN 21.6K

$7,855 PEN 26.6K

-18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.20 PEN 129

$50.5 PEN 171

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 PEN 74.8

$36.63 PEN 124

-39.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 PEN 214

$89.8 PEN 304

-29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 PEN 191

$91.1 PEN 308

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 799

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 PEN 540

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 PEN 1,841

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 PEN 1,291

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 PEN 6,714

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 PEN 3,304

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 PEN 2,256

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for La Merced: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $33.00 in La Merced. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $177 – making Arequipa 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 La Merced: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 22% more than La Merced, 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 $959 per month in Arequipa and $785 in La Merced. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $33.00 in La Merced. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Arequipa – 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 $639 in Arequipa and $523 in La Merced, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Merced costs $523 versus $639 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 La Merced. 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.