Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,607 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Monterrey

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 Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $719 per month in Arequipa vs $1,607 in Monterrey, rent included.

Arequipa $719
Monterrey $1,607

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Arequipa vs $2,512 in Monterrey, rent included.

Arequipa $1,114
Monterrey $2,512

A family of three spends $1,510 per month in Arequipa vs $3,417 in Monterrey, rent included.

Arequipa $1,510
Monterrey $3,417

Arequipa is about 55% cheaper than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arequipa sits 46% below the global median, while Monterrey is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 PEN 11.73

$13.75 MX$250

-75.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.27 PEN 93.8

$50.2 MX$913

-45.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 PEN 19.53

$11.13 MX$203

-48.97%

Cappuccino

$2.47 PEN 8.48

$4.04 MX$73.5

-38.86%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.82

$1.70 MX$31.00

-51.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 PEN 1.32

$0.99 MX$18.00

-61.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

$2.41 MX$43.80

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 15.13

$4.48 MX$81.6

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.59

$1.92 MX$34.98

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.69

$2.89 MX$52.6

-52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 PEN 5.22

$1.94 MX$35.34

-21.65%

Eggs

$2.25 PEN 7.75

$2.50 MX$45.47

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 PEN 21.97

$12.30 MX$224

-48.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 PEN 15.04

$9.33 MX$170

-53.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 PEN 25.74

$13.07 MX$238

-42.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 PEN 6.09

$3.38 MX$61.5

-47.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.20

$1.58 MX$28.75

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.90

$2.20 MX$40.07

-48.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.53

$2.45 MX$44.48

-57.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 PEN 2.20

$2.26 MX$41.09

-71.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$2.74 MX$49.89

-75.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 PEN 1.87

$1.53 MX$27.83

-64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.61

$1.26 MX$22.94

-39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 PEN 17.82

$4.84 MX$88.1

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.32

$13.59 MX$247

-62.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 PEN 9.37

$1.91 MX$34.69

42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PEN 7.58

$3.06 MX$55.8

-28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.80 MX$14.47

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$578

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 PEN 6.90

$1.62 MX$29.50

24.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 PEN 6.78

$1.10 MX$19.99

79.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.00 PEN 44.70

$10.97 MX$199

18.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.28

$1.52 MX$27.68

0.66%

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

$19.2K PEN 65.9K

$21.4K MX$388.7K

-10.29%

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

$25.0K PEN 86.1K

$25.5K MX$463.3K

-1.68%

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

$24.05 PEN 82.7

$120 MX$2,178

-79.91%

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

$10.15 PEN 34.91

$27.08 MX$493

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 PEN 79.2

$26.70 MX$486

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 PEN 86.2

$31.15 MX$567

-19.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 PEN 27.97

$21.95 MX$399

-62.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 PEN 25.48

$5.14 MX$93.5

44.16%

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

$74.8 PEN 257

$688 MX$12.5K

-89.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,596 PEN 22.7K

$11.4K MX$207.9K

-42.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.85 PEN 168

$71.9 MX$1,308

-32.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.46 PEN 91.0

$43.30 MX$788

-38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 PEN 234

$112 MX$2,040

-39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 PEN 197

$122 MX$2,216

-52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PEN 1,217

$957 MX$17.4K

-63.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 812

$670 MX$12.2K

-64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 PEN 2,458

$1,887 MX$34.3K

-62.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 PEN 1,436

$1,305 MX$23.7K

-67.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 PEN 6,847

$4,159 MX$75.7K

-52.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 PEN 3,351

$2,437 MX$44.3K

-60.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 PEN 2,122

$1,133 MX$20.6K

-45.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

27.23%

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$236 33.3%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 184% $434

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.6%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 79.6% $138

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.8%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 129% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 74.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 203% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 3.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 225% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Arequipa versus $957 in Monterrey. 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 84% higher in Monterrey, 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 $27.00 in Arequipa versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $312 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

02:16 2:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

1 h behind Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Monterrey 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Monterrey

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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 124% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Arequipa and $2,411 in Monterrey. 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 $27.00 in Arequipa and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Monterrey, 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 $719, than in Monterrey at $1,607. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 versus $1,607 in Monterrey. 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, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.