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 $650 per month in Arequipa vs $528 in La Merced, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Arequipa vs $879 in La Merced, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Arequipa vs $1,231 in La Merced, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 23% more than La Merced, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arequipa and La Merced are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 51% lower, La Merced 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 14.32

$4.09 PEN 14.39

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.21 PEN 99.3

$33.89 PEN 119

-16.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 PEN 20.00

$6.80 PEN 23.92

-16.47%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 9.18

$2.62 PEN 9.23

-0.38%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.88

$0.92 PEN 3.25

-10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.30

$0.61 PEN 2.14

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PEN 7.70

$2.28 PEN 8.03

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 PEN 20.69

$3.81 PEN 13.42

54.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.40

$1.47 PEN 5.16

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.46

$1.97 PEN 6.95

-35.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$1.23 PEN 4.34

-0.81%

Eggs

$2.06 PEN 7.24

$2.25 PEN 7.93

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 PEN 18.93

$6.83 PEN 24.06

-21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 PEN 18.51

$5.66 PEN 19.94

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 PEN 26.22

$8.51 PEN 29.95

-12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.15

$0.88 PEN 3.10

65.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$0.41 PEN 1.44

197.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.17

$0.27 PEN 0.94

340.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.71

$0.70 PEN 2.47

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.95

$0.27 PEN 0.95

103.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.90

$0.40 PEN 1.41

35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.55

$0.59 PEN 2.06

-25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.66

$0.92 PEN 3.25

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 PEN 17.41

$5.41 PEN 19.05

-8.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PEN 17.14

$7.27 PEN 25.58

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.43

$1.74 PEN 6.14

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PEN 8.15

$3.10 PEN 10.91

-25.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 1.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.33

$3.39 PEN 11.93

-38.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 PEN 7.44

$2.16 PEN 7.60

-2.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 PEN 45.12

$8.56 PEN 30.13

49.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 PEN 5.64

$1.37 PEN 4.81

16.79%

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

$18.7K PEN 65.9K

$19.7K PEN 69.2K

-4.89%

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

$25.0K PEN 88.0K

$24.1K PEN 84.8K

3.84%

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

$39.83 PEN 140

$56.5 PEN 199

-29.54%

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

$10.73 PEN 37.77

$12.55 PEN 44.18

-14.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 PEN 108

$24.20 PEN 85.2

26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 PEN 75.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 PEN 28.93

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 PEN 15.44

$6.85 PEN 24.10

-35.91%

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

$59.9 PEN 211

$219 PEN 772

-72.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,271 PEN 22.1K

$7,883 PEN 27.7K

-20.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 PEN 130

$50.9 PEN 179

-27.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 PEN 77.5

$36.18 PEN 127

-39.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 PEN 217

$90.9 PEN 320

-32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 PEN 194

$90.7 PEN 319

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 PEN 861

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 PEN 549

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 PEN 1,908

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 PEN 1,350

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 PEN 7,023

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,002 PEN 3,526

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$631 PEN 2,222

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for La Merced: April 27, 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: $169 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 23% 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 $975 per month in Arequipa and $793 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 6% 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 $650 in Arequipa and $528 in La Merced, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Merced costs $528 versus $650 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.