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 $641 per month in Arequipa vs $531 in La Merced, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Arequipa vs $868 in La Merced, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Arequipa vs $1,205 in La Merced, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 21% 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 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.14 PEN 14.06

$4.07 PEN 13.83

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.18 PEN 95.7

$33.86 PEN 115

-16.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 PEN 18.69

$7.08 PEN 24.05

-22.18%

Cappuccino

$2.49 PEN 8.47

$2.65 PEN 8.98

-6.04%

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

$0.76 PEN 2.58

$0.93 PEN 3.14

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.65 PEN 2.20

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 PEN 7.57

$2.29 PEN 7.76

-2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 PEN 20.31

$3.98 PEN 13.51

50.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 PEN 5.17

$1.49 PEN 5.06

2.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 PEN 4.19

$1.90 PEN 6.46

-34.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.31

$1.22 PEN 4.15

4.10%

Eggs

$2.14 PEN 7.25

$2.26 PEN 7.68

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 PEN 18.21

$7.11 PEN 24.13

-24.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 PEN 17.84

$5.64 PEN 19.14

-6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 PEN 26.22

$8.54 PEN 28.98

-9.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.94

$0.96 PEN 3.27

51.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$0.43 PEN 1.48

176.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.03

$0.27 PEN 0.91

340.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.76

$0.71 PEN 2.42

14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.01

$0.29 PEN 0.99

103.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.44 PEN 1.50

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.50

$0.53 PEN 1.81

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.59

$0.93 PEN 3.17

-18.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 PEN 17.21

$5.69 PEN 19.32

-10.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 PEN 17.85

$7.22 PEN 24.50

-27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.33

$1.75 PEN 5.93

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 PEN 7.59

$2.97 PEN 10.09

-24.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.07

$3.35 PEN 11.37

-37.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.02

$2.12 PEN 7.20

-2.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.84 PEN 43.58

$8.19 PEN 27.79

56.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.52

$1.34 PEN 4.56

21.64%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.1K

$19.3K PEN 65.4K

-3.60%

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

$25.2K PEN 85.5K

$24.7K PEN 84.0K

1.86%

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

$39.89 PEN 135

$55.4 PEN 188

-28.05%

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

$10.74 PEN 36.45

$12.60 PEN 42.76

-14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.30 PEN 103

$23.56 PEN 80.0

28.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.61 PEN 73.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 PEN 27.60

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 PEN 14.70

$6.73 PEN 22.86

-35.66%

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

$59.5 PEN 202

$215 PEN 730

-72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,278 PEN 21.3K

$8,145 PEN 27.7K

-22.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.91 PEN 125

$50.4 PEN 171

-26.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.81 PEN 74.0

$35.94 PEN 122

-39.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 PEN 211

$90.0 PEN 305

-30.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 PEN 186

$90.5 PEN 307

-39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 804

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 PEN 528

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,827

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 PEN 1,297

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,014 PEN 6,838

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 PEN 3,353

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 PEN 2,189

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for La Merced: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $34.00 in La Merced. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $179 – 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 21% 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 $961 per month in Arequipa and $796 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 $34.00 in La Merced. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% 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 $641 in Arequipa and $531 in La Merced, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Merced costs $531 versus $641 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.