Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Miraflores Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Miraflores

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $649 per month in Arequipa vs $1,058 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,065 per month in Arequipa vs $1,185 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Arequipa vs $1,312 in Miraflores, rent included.

Arequipa is about 39% cheaper than Miraflores, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arequipa and Miraflores are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, Miraflores 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 PEN 14.06

$4.08 PEN 13.90

1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.09 PEN 95.6

$33.86 PEN 115

-17.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PEN 19.19

$4.99 PEN 16.96

13.03%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.63

$2.53 PEN 8.59

0.40%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.78

$0.91 PEN 3.09

-9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.60 PEN 2.05

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$2.19 PEN 7.47

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 PEN 19.91

$3.80 PEN 12.92

53.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.49

$1.21 PEN 4.13

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 PEN 4.35

$1.14 PEN 3.88

12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.19

$1.31 PEN 4.47

-6.11%

Eggs

$2.15 PEN 7.30

$2.82 PEN 9.59

-23.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 PEN 18.76

$8.09 PEN 27.53

-31.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 PEN 17.60

$5.77 PEN 19.64

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 PEN 26.40

$8.54 PEN 29.04

-9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.07

$2.05 PEN 6.99

-27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 3.98

$1.13 PEN 3.83

3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$1.10 PEN 3.73

8.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.61

$1.12 PEN 3.83

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$1.03 PEN 3.50

-46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$0.81 PEN 2.76

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.51

$0.82 PEN 2.79

-45.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.58 PEN 1.97

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 PEN 16.57

$5.40 PEN 18.36

-9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.13

$8.86 PEN 30.13

-43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 PEN 8.39

$1.72 PEN 5.85

43.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 PEN 7.87

$2.70 PEN 9.18

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.27 PEN 0.91

7.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 PEN 7.02

$3.29 PEN 11.19

-37.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PEN 7.01

$2.21 PEN 7.52

-6.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.77 PEN 43.46

$8.32 PEN 28.29

53.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.25

$1.24 PEN 4.21

24.19%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

$19.1K PEN 64.9K

-2.57%

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

$25.5K PEN 86.7K

$24.1K PEN 82.1K

5.55%

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

$39.14 PEN 133

$55.0 PEN 187

-28.84%

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

$10.57 PEN 35.96

$8.32 PEN 28.30

27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 PEN 106

$23.61 PEN 80.3

31.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.22 PEN 72.2

$32.86 PEN 112

-35.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.38

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 PEN 15.27

$6.78 PEN 23.08

-33.78%

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

$60.0 PEN 204

$215 PEN 732

-72.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,277 PEN 21.4K

$8,047 PEN 27.4K

-22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 PEN 126

$50.9 PEN 173

-27.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PEN 75.2

$35.51 PEN 121

-37.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 PEN 214

$91.7 PEN 312

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 PEN 191

$83.5 PEN 284

-32.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 817

$677 PEN 2,303

-64.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 PEN 538

$499 PEN 1,699

-68.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 PEN 1,838

$1,598 PEN 5,436

-66.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,315

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 PEN 6,654

$2,543 PEN 8,653

-23.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,379

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,211

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Arequipa versus $677 in Miraflores. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $34.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $193 – 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 Miraflores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miraflores costs about 63% more than Arequipa, 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 $974 per month in Arequipa and $1,587 in Miraflores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $34.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Miraflores, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $649, than in Miraflores at $1,058. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Miraflores it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $649 versus $1,058 in Miraflores. 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 Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Miraflores makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.