Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Pisco Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Pisco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $639 per month in Arequipa vs $522 in Pisco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,078 per month in Arequipa vs $819 in Pisco, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,518 per month in Arequipa vs $1,117 in Pisco, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 22% more than Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Arequipa and Pisco are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, Pisco 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 PEN 13.94

$2.17 PEN 7.38

88.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.33 PEN 92.9

$11.02 PEN 37.48

148.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 PEN 19.37

$3.35 PEN 11.37

70.15%

Cappuccino

$2.58 PEN 8.77

$1.42 PEN 4.82

81.69%

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

$0.80 PEN 2.73

$0.68 PEN 2.30

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.27 PEN 0.92

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 PEN 7.32

$1.90 PEN 6.47

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 PEN 20.23

$3.80 PEN 12.93

56.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$1.48 PEN 5.04

8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 PEN 4.13

$2.60 PEN 8.84

-53.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.19

$1.35 PEN 4.58

-8.89%

Eggs

$2.07 PEN 7.04

$2.83 PEN 9.61

-26.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 PEN 18.42

$8.08 PEN 27.48

-32.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 PEN 17.83

$5.72 PEN 19.45

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 PEN 26.36

$10.65 PEN 36.21

-27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.93

$1.95 PEN 6.64

-25.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.15

$1.08 PEN 3.68

12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 PEN 4.13

$1.11 PEN 3.76

9.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.82

$1.26 PEN 4.29

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.87

$1.03 PEN 3.51

-46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.94

$0.93 PEN 3.16

-38.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.51

$0.86 PEN 2.93

-48.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 PEN 2.64

$0.94 PEN 3.18

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 PEN 16.61

$5.53 PEN 18.80

-11.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.06 PEN 17.21

$8.42 PEN 28.62

-39.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.33

$1.70 PEN 5.78

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.58

$3.03 PEN 10.31

-26.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.08

$3.28 PEN 11.16

-36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 PEN 7.14

$2.12 PEN 7.21

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.90 PEN 43.87

$8.47 PEN 28.79

52.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$1.30 PEN 4.41

23.85%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.3K

$19.6K PEN 66.7K

-5.13%

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

$25.1K PEN 85.2K

$24.8K PEN 84.3K

1.03%

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

$40.46 PEN 138

$57.2 PEN 195

-29.30%

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

$10.61 PEN 36.07

$12.81 PEN 43.54

-17.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.57 PEN 104

$23.45 PEN 79.7

30.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 PEN 74.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.35 PEN 28.38

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 PEN 15.42

$6.87 PEN 23.37

-33.92%

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

$59.3 PEN 202

$216 PEN 734

-72.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,474 PEN 22.0K

$8,003 PEN 27.2K

-19.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.77 PEN 128

$50.8 PEN 173

-25.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.81 PEN 74.2

$36.62 PEN 124

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 PEN 208

$90.5 PEN 308

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 PEN 188

$87.7 PEN 298

-36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 PEN 820

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 PEN 529

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 PEN 1,844

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 PEN 1,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 PEN 6,646

$1,782 PEN 6,057

9.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 PEN 3,295

$1,328 PEN 4,514

-27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$644 PEN 2,188

$557 PEN 1,893

15.59%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pisco: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 16% higher in Arequipa, 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 $11.00 in Pisco. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Arequipa vs $220 in Pisco – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 22% more than Pisco, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $958 per month in Arequipa and $783 in Pisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Arequipa and $11.00 in Pisco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Arequipa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $639 in Arequipa and $522 in Pisco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pisco costs $522 versus $639 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 Pisco. 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.