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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $650 per month in Arequipa vs $526 in Pisco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Arequipa vs $831 in Pisco, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Arequipa vs $1,136 in Pisco, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 24% more than Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 14.32

$2.24 PEN 7.87

81.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.21 PEN 99.3

$11.26 PEN 39.64

150.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 PEN 20.00

$3.42 PEN 12.02

66.08%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 9.18

$1.38 PEN 4.85

89.13%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.88

$0.72 PEN 2.52

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.30

$0.27 PEN 0.94

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PEN 7.70

$1.96 PEN 6.91

11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 PEN 20.69

$4.00 PEN 14.08

47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.40

$1.42 PEN 4.99

7.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.46

$2.68 PEN 9.42

-52.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$1.31 PEN 4.61

-6.87%

Eggs

$2.06 PEN 7.24

$2.85 PEN 10.02

-27.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 PEN 18.93

$8.18 PEN 28.78

-34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 PEN 18.51

$5.49 PEN 19.33

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 PEN 26.22

$10.63 PEN 37.43

-29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.15

$2.03 PEN 7.16

-28.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.28

$1.09 PEN 3.83

11.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.17

$1.14 PEN 4.02

4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.71

$1.24 PEN 4.37

-37.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.95

$0.99 PEN 3.48

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.90

$0.99 PEN 3.48

-45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.55

$0.88 PEN 3.09

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.66

$0.92 PEN 3.22

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 PEN 17.41

$5.45 PEN 19.17

-9.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PEN 17.14

$8.50 PEN 29.91

-42.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.43

$1.76 PEN 6.20

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PEN 8.15

$3.09 PEN 10.87

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 1.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.33

$3.24 PEN 11.40

-35.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 PEN 7.44

$2.11 PEN 7.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 PEN 45.12

$8.44 PEN 29.70

51.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 PEN 5.64

$1.31 PEN 4.61

22.14%

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

$18.7K PEN 65.9K

$19.5K PEN 68.7K

-4.10%

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

$25.0K PEN 88.0K

$24.8K PEN 87.4K

0.76%

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

$39.83 PEN 140

$57.5 PEN 202

-30.73%

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

$10.73 PEN 37.77

$12.55 PEN 44.16

-14.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 PEN 108

$23.42 PEN 82.4

30.83%

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

$7.02 PEN 24.73

-37.46%

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

$59.9 PEN 211

$219 PEN 771

-72.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,271 PEN 22.1K

$8,134 PEN 28.6K

-22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 PEN 130

$49.37 PEN 174

-25.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 PEN 77.5

$36.19 PEN 127

-39.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 PEN 217

$90.5 PEN 319

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 PEN 194

$88.3 PEN 311

-37.58%

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

$1,814 PEN 6,386

9.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,002 PEN 3,526

$1,330 PEN 4,681

-24.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$631 PEN 2,222

$558 PEN 1,965

13.09%

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 Pisco: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 13% 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 $28.00 in Arequipa versus $11.00 in Pisco. Groceries tell a different story – $169 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 24% 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 $975 per month in Arequipa and $789 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 $28.00 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 30% 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 $650 in Arequipa and $526 in Pisco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pisco costs $526 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 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.