Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $502 a month against $696 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Arequipa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$696

/mo nomad

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Pucallpa

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

A single person spends $696 per month in Arequipa vs $502 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Arequipa $696
Pucallpa $502

A couple spends around $1,094 per month in Arequipa vs $826 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Arequipa $1,094
Pucallpa $826

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Arequipa vs $1,149 in Pucallpa, rent included.

Arequipa $1,492
Pucallpa $1,149

Arequipa costs about 39% more than Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arequipa and Pucallpa are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 49% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 PEN 11.69

$2.30 PEN 7.92

47.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.99 PEN 89.6

$11.70 PEN 40.31

122.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 PEN 19.74

$5.32 PEN 18.34

7.71%

Cappuccino

$2.50 PEN 8.62

$1.99 PEN 6.87

25.63%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$1.03 PEN 3.56

-20.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 PEN 1.33

$0.28 PEN 0.95

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 PEN 7.05

$1.78 PEN 6.15

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 PEN 10.00

$2.29 PEN 7.90

26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.05 PEN 3.62

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

$3.55 PEN 12.24

-60.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.20

$1.13 PEN 3.89

33.63%

Eggs

$2.34 PEN 8.06

$1.71 PEN 5.89

36.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PEN 21.58

$2.06 PEN 7.11

203.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 PEN 15.17

$3.99 PEN 13.75

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 PEN 24.70

$3.42 PEN 11.78

109.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 PEN 5.91

$2.27 PEN 7.81

-24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.26

$1.43 PEN 4.94

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.91

$1.49 PEN 5.14

-23.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.43

$2.60 PEN 8.94

-61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 PEN 2.15

$2.93 PEN 10.11

-78.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.30

$1.98 PEN 6.83

-66.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.77

$2.27 PEN 7.82

-77.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.62

$1.03 PEN 3.55

-26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.71

$4.61 PEN 15.90

11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 PEN 17.07

$7.66 PEN 26.41

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PEN 9.17

$2.33 PEN 8.03

14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.70

$3.56 PEN 12.28

-37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$1.14 PEN 3.91

-75.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 PEN 6.78

$1.44 PEN 4.95

36.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.07

$0.56 PEN 1.94

266.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 PEN 43.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.46

$1.27 PEN 4.36

24.41%

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

$19.0K PEN 65.3K

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

$25.3K PEN 87.3K

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

$23.50 PEN 81.0

$51.2 PEN 176

-54.10%

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

$10.28 PEN 35.43

$34.95 PEN 120

-70.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 PEN 78.6

$44.29 PEN 153

-48.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 PEN 83.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 PEN 26.77

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 PEN 24.23

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

$73.9 PEN 255

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 PEN 23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 PEN 165

$52.5 PEN 181

-8.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 PEN 88.9

$34.57 PEN 119

-25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 PEN 226

$34.53 PEN 119

89.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 PEN 201

$67.5 PEN 233

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 PEN 1,200

$114 PEN 393

205.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 PEN 797

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,476

$234 PEN 807

206.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 PEN 1,416

$124 PEN 428

230.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 PEN 6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 PEN 3,353

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 PEN 2,085

$407 PEN 1,403

48.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Arequipa: November 3, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$231 33.3%

Pucallpa

–

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$172 24.7%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Arequipa

$95 13.7%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$89 12.8%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$38 5.5%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Pucallpa

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Arequipa versus $114 in Pucallpa. 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 49% higher in Arequipa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Arequipa versus $12 in Pucallpa. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Arequipa vs $201 in Pucallpa – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

326,040

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Pucallpa 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Pucallpa

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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 39% more than Pucallpa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,044 per month in Arequipa and $753 in Pucallpa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pucallpa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $114 there versus $348 in Arequipa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $696 in Arequipa and $502 in Pucallpa. That makes Pucallpa about 28% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Arequipa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $696 in Arequipa and $502 in Pucallpa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arequipa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $502 in Pucallpa to $696 in Arequipa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pucallpa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arequipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.