Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Arequipa
🇵🇪 Peru
$709
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arequipa and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Arequipa $709
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Arequipa $1,117
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Arequipa $1,524
  • Lisbon $4,346

Arequipa is about 68% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Arequipa sits 48% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.46 PEN 11.87
$17.04 €15.15
-79.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.89 PEN 95.8
$62.3 €55.4
-55.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.93 PEN 20.37
$11.02 €9.80
-46.19%
Cappuccino
$2.42 PEN 8.31
$3.12 €2.78
-22.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 PEN 2.78
$2.27 €2.02
-64.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 PEN 1.33
$1.74 €1.55
-77.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.09 PEN 7.16
$3.42 €3.04
-38.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 PEN 14.68
$3.74 €3.33
14.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 PEN 4.61
$1.17 €1.04
14.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 PEN 4.66
$1.86 €1.66
-26.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.45 PEN 4.99
$1.54 €1.37
-5.84%
Eggs
$2.29 PEN 7.85
$4.06 €3.61
-43.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.25 PEN 21.47
$12.91 €11.49
-51.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.59 PEN 15.75
$7.90 €7.03
-41.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.33 PEN 25.16
$17.64 €15.69
-58.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.76 PEN 6.03
$2.26 €2.01
-22.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 PEN 4.05
$1.75 €1.55
-32.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.13 PEN 3.88
$1.89 €1.68
-40.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.99 PEN 3.41
$2.56 €2.27
-61.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 PEN 2.29
$1.85 €1.64
-63.78%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 PEN 2.31
$1.97 €1.75
-65.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 PEN 1.91
$1.45 €1.29
-61.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 PEN 2.60
$0.77 €0.69
-1.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.13 PEN 17.62
$6.71 €5.97
-23.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.18 PEN 17.80
$5.67 €5.04
-8.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 PEN 9.17
$1.37 €1.22
94.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 PEN 7.90
$2.11 €1.88
9.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 PEN 0.95
$2.32 €2.07
-87.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 PEN 6.92
$3.95 €3.51
-48.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 PEN 6.92
$1.05 €0.93
91.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.01 PEN 44.68
$17.15 €15.26
-24.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 PEN 5.28
$2.19 €1.95
-29.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.9K PEN 65.0K
$33.8K €30.0K
-43.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K PEN 86.3K
$38.3K €34.0K
-34.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$23.36 PEN 80.2
$164 €146
-85.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.26 PEN 35.24
$18.48 €16.43
-44.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.44 PEN 80.5
$32.96 €29.32
-28.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.08 PEN 86.1
$45.87 €40.80
-45.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.00 PEN 27.47
$18.68 €16.61
-57.17%
Cinema Ticket
$7.35 PEN 25.24
$9.75 €8.67
-24.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$75.3 PEN 258
$684 €608
-89.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,598 PEN 22.7K
$17.6K €15.7K
-62.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.74 PEN 164
$104 €92.3
-53.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.42 PEN 90.7
$46.20 €41.09
-42.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.6 PEN 232
$99.7 €88.7
-32.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.5 PEN 198
$125 €111
-53.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$347 PEN 1,192
$1,589 €1,414
-78.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$237 PEN 813
$1,169 €1,040
-79.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 PEN 2,471
$2,851 €2,536
-74.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$419 PEN 1,439
$1,993 €1,773
-78.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,963 PEN 6,740
$7,793 €6,932
-74.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$989 PEN 3,397
$4,418 €3,930
-77.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arequipa
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$619 PEN 2,125
$1,600 €1,423
-61.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
3.85
289.61%

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Arequipa
$237
Lisbon
$1.2K 394% $932
Groceries & Markets
Arequipa
$174
Lisbon
$273 57% $99
Eating Out
Arequipa
$98
Lisbon
$247 152% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Arequipa
$90
Lisbon
$168 87.8% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arequipa
$57
Lisbon
$215 277% $158
Sport & Entertainment
Arequipa
$40
Lisbon
$65 64.4% $26
Getting Around
Arequipa
$13 *
Lisbon
$63 377% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Arequipa versus $1,589 in Lisbon. 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 159% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $273 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Arequipa
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:49 2:49 PM
20:49 8:49 PM
6 h ahead of Arequipa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,062
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arequipa Lisbon 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Arequipa
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Arequipa or Lisbon?
Lisbon costs about 211% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Arequipa and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Arequipa and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Arequipa or Lisbon?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Arequipa and in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Arequipa or in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 57% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Arequipa or in Lisbon?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Arequipa or Lisbon?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Arequipa compared to Lisbon?
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.
Should I move to Arequipa or to Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Arequipa vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?