Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Teresopolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Teresopolis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $726 per month in Arequipa vs $643 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,150 per month in Arequipa vs $1,081 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,573 per month in Arequipa vs $1,519 in Teresopolis, rent included.

Arequipa costs about 13% more than Teresopolis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Arequipa and Teresopolis are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 47% lower, Teresopolis 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 PEN 12.08

$3.29 R$16.80

9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.83 PEN 100

$26.97 R$138

10.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PEN 19.69

$6.83 R$34.82

-14.35%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 8.78

$1.66 R$8.45

57.23%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.80

$1.37 R$6.99

-39.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 PEN 1.23

$0.61 R$3.09

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 PEN 7.43

$1.18 R$6.00

87.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 PEN 14.60

$4.75 R$24.24

-8.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 PEN 4.60

$0.99 R$5.07

38.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 PEN 4.87

$1.46 R$7.44

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 PEN 5.15

$1.32 R$6.75

15.91%

Eggs

$2.36 PEN 7.93

$1.96 R$9.98

20.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.46 PEN 21.73

$8.50 R$43.34

-24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 PEN 15.03

$3.40 R$17.35

31.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 PEN 25.02

$8.25 R$42.05

-9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 PEN 6.16

$1.86 R$9.50

-1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.12 R$5.70

11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 PEN 3.92

$0.89 R$4.52

30.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.44

$1.19 R$6.07

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.27

$0.62 R$3.17

8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 PEN 2.43

$0.81 R$4.15

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.90

$0.51 R$2.59

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 PEN 2.58

$0.76 R$3.87

1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 PEN 17.57

$1.53 R$7.79

241.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 PEN 17.79

$5.95 R$30.34

-11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 PEN 9.72

$1.43 R$7.30

102.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 PEN 8.06

$1.31 R$6.70

83.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.97

$0.84 R$4.31

-65.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.32 R$175

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 PEN 7.07

$0.93 R$4.74

125.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 6.88

$0.94 R$4.81

118.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.85 PEN 43.21

$2.32 R$11.84

453.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 PEN 5.10

$1.22 R$6.24

24.59%

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

$18.6K PEN 62.5K

$20.4K R$104.1K

-9.08%

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

$26.0K PEN 87.6K

$30.7K R$156.5K

-15.15%

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

$24.42 PEN 82.1

$28.71 R$146

-14.94%

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

$10.19 PEN 34.27

$23.96 R$122

-57.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.41 PEN 78.8

$18.14 R$92.5

29.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.53 PEN 85.9

$28.44 R$145

-10.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.36 PEN 28.12

$19.31 R$98.5

-56.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 PEN 25.24

$6.36 R$32.46

17.92%

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

$75.6 PEN 254

$141 R$719

-46.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,836 PEN 23.0K

$2,519 R$12.8K

171.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.44 PEN 166

$25.12 R$128

96.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.25 PEN 88.3

$26.14 R$133

0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 PEN 233

$66.3 R$338

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 PEN 201

$46.84 R$239

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 PEN 1,218

$353 R$1,800

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 807

$156 R$795

53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 PEN 2,460

$522 R$2,661

40.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,416

$380 R$1,940

10.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 PEN 6,708

$1,174 R$5,990

69.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,016 PEN 3,416

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 PEN 2,205

$484 R$2,471

35.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

40.58%

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

Last update for Arequipa: August 29, 2026

Last update for Teresopolis: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Arequipa versus $353 in Teresopolis. 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 35% 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 $30.00 in Arequipa versus $27.00 in Teresopolis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $167 – making Teresopolis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Teresopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 13% more than Teresopolis, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Arequipa and $965 in Teresopolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teresopolis, 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 $30.00 in Arequipa and $27.00 in Teresopolis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Arequipa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $726 in Arequipa and $643 in Teresopolis, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Teresopolis costs $643 versus $726 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 Teresopolis. 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.