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 $719 per month in Arequipa vs $566 in La Merced, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,136 per month in Arequipa vs $926 in La Merced, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Arequipa vs $1,286 in La Merced, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 27% more than La Merced, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Arequipa and La Merced are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 47% lower, La Merced 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PEN 11.92

$4.49 PEN 15.15

-21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.40 PEN 95.8

$35.82 PEN 121

-20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 PEN 20.46

$7.03 PEN 23.73

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$2.59 PEN 8.75

$3.42 PEN 11.53

-24.27%

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

$0.62 PEN 2.10

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 PEN 7.07

$2.71 PEN 9.15

-22.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 PEN 14.82

$4.59 PEN 15.48

-4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 PEN 4.60

$1.68 PEN 5.67

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 PEN 4.69

$2.06 PEN 6.94

-32.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.01

$1.30 PEN 4.40

13.85%

Eggs

$2.35 PEN 7.93

$2.42 PEN 8.16

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 PEN 21.97

$7.50 PEN 25.31

-13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 PEN 15.44

$5.96 PEN 20.12

-23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 PEN 25.92

$9.09 PEN 30.66

-15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 5.98

$1.00 PEN 3.38

77.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.26

$0.47 PEN 1.57

168.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.97

$0.31 PEN 1.05

280.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.59

$0.70 PEN 2.38

51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.31 PEN 1.06

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.47 PEN 1.59

44.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.90

$0.62 PEN 2.09

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.56

$0.95 PEN 3.20

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 PEN 17.19

$5.94 PEN 20.05

-14.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 PEN 17.27

$7.64 PEN 25.76

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 PEN 9.30

$1.98 PEN 6.68

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PEN 7.82

$3.31 PEN 11.18

-29.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 PEN 1.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.06

$4.12 PEN 13.91

-49.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 PEN 7.14

$2.05 PEN 6.93

3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.12 PEN 44.26

$7.37 PEN 24.87

78.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 PEN 5.27

$1.72 PEN 5.81

-9.30%

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

$19.1K PEN 64.6K

$22.3K PEN 75.3K

-14.29%

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

$25.8K PEN 87.0K

$25.9K PEN 87.2K

-0.28%

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

$24.60 PEN 83.0

$70.0 PEN 236

-64.88%

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

$10.35 PEN 34.93

$17.07 PEN 57.6

-39.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.49 PEN 79.3

$28.18 PEN 95.1

-16.64%

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

$7.60 PEN 25.64

-3.42%

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

$76.7 PEN 259

$183 PEN 618

-58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 PEN 23.4K

$13.3K PEN 44.9K

-47.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 PEN 167

$54.6 PEN 184

-9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 PEN 92.0

$35.22 PEN 119

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 PEN 227

$84.8 PEN 286

-20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 PEN 204

$80.7 PEN 272

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 PEN 1,207

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 La Merced: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $36.00 in La Merced. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $192 – 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 27% more than La Merced, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. 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 $849 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 $36.00 in La Merced. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% 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 $719 in Arequipa and $566 in La Merced, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Merced costs $566 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 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.