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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $641 per month in Arequipa vs $523 in Pisco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Arequipa vs $819 in Pisco, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Arequipa vs $1,114 in Pisco, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 23% 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

$4.14 PEN 14.06

$2.25 PEN 7.63

84.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.18 PEN 95.7

$11.30 PEN 38.36

149.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 PEN 18.69

$3.31 PEN 11.25

66.47%

Cappuccino

$2.49 PEN 8.47

$1.41 PEN 4.79

76.60%

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

$0.76 PEN 2.58

$0.71 PEN 2.42

7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.27 PEN 0.91

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 PEN 7.57

$1.90 PEN 6.44

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 PEN 20.31

$3.93 PEN 13.35

52.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 PEN 5.17

$1.41 PEN 4.80

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 PEN 4.19

$2.74 PEN 9.30

-54.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.31

$1.35 PEN 4.57

-5.93%

Eggs

$2.14 PEN 7.25

$2.97 PEN 10.07

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 PEN 18.21

$8.12 PEN 27.58

-33.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 PEN 17.84

$5.75 PEN 19.52

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 PEN 26.22

$10.75 PEN 36.51

-28.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.94

$2.06 PEN 6.98

-29.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$1.12 PEN 3.80

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.03

$1.10 PEN 3.73

8.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.76

$1.20 PEN 4.09

-32.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.01

$1.04 PEN 3.53

-43.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.94 PEN 3.19

-41.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 PEN 1.50

$0.82 PEN 2.79

-46.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.59

$0.94 PEN 3.19

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 PEN 17.21

$5.54 PEN 18.80

-8.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 PEN 17.85

$9.04 PEN 30.69

-41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 PEN 8.33

$1.75 PEN 5.94

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 PEN 7.59

$3.03 PEN 10.30

-26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 PEN 7.07

$3.25 PEN 11.04

-36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.02

$2.16 PEN 7.32

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.84 PEN 43.58

$8.22 PEN 27.91

56.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.52

$1.31 PEN 4.44

24.43%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.1K

$19.5K PEN 66.1K

-4.53%

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

$25.2K PEN 85.5K

$24.9K PEN 84.6K

1.05%

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

$39.89 PEN 135

$56.9 PEN 193

-29.85%

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

$10.74 PEN 36.45

$12.44 PEN 42.25

-13.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.30 PEN 103

$23.93 PEN 81.3

26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.61 PEN 73.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 PEN 27.60

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 PEN 14.70

$6.89 PEN 23.40

-37.16%

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

$59.5 PEN 202

$218 PEN 738

-72.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,278 PEN 21.3K

$7,940 PEN 27.0K

-20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.91 PEN 125

$49.82 PEN 169

-25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.81 PEN 74.0

$35.63 PEN 121

-38.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 PEN 211

$90.3 PEN 307

-31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 PEN 186

$90.3 PEN 306

-39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 804

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 PEN 528

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,827

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 PEN 1,297

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,014 PEN 6,838

$1,810 PEN 6,145

11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 PEN 3,353

$1,363 PEN 4,628

-27.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 PEN 2,189

$580 PEN 1,970

11.11%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Pisco: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 11% 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 – $171 in Arequipa vs $224 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 23% 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 $961 per month in Arequipa and $784 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 31% 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 $641 in Arequipa and $523 in Pisco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pisco costs $523 versus $641 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.