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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $652 per month in Arequipa vs $682 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Arequipa vs $1,099 in Teresopolis, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,490 per month in Arequipa vs $1,517 in Teresopolis, rent included.

Arequipa is about 4% cheaper than Teresopolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Arequipa and Teresopolis are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 51% lower, Teresopolis 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 13.80

$3.51 R$17.93

15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.88 PEN 94.6

$25.07 R$128

11.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PEN 18.54

$6.20 R$31.67

-11.77%

Cappuccino

$2.58 PEN 8.74

$1.55 R$7.91

66.45%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.77

$1.34 R$6.82

-38.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.71 R$3.65

-47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.59

$1.81 R$9.26

23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 PEN 20.72

$2.67 R$13.62

128.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 PEN 5.26

$1.17 R$5.97

32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.30

$1.75 R$8.96

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.36

$1.43 R$7.30

-9.79%

Eggs

$2.07 PEN 7.01

$2.04 R$10.40

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.57 PEN 18.89

$7.54 R$38.54

-26.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 PEN 17.89

$3.54 R$18.08

48.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 25.71

$7.64 R$39.04

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 4.97

$2.20 R$11.27

-33.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.00

$1.29 R$6.57

-8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$1.46 R$7.46

-16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.63

$1.56 R$7.97

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.02

$1.23 R$6.29

-52.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.98

$1.15 R$5.87

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.52

$0.64 R$3.26

-29.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.57 R$2.89

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 PEN 17.12

$2.02 R$10.33

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.21 PEN 17.67

$5.93 R$30.30

-12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 PEN 8.40

$1.21 R$6.18

104.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PEN 7.47

$2.13 R$10.86

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.91

$0.77 R$3.94

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.80 R$122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.08

$0.93 R$4.75

124.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 6.92

$0.69 R$3.53

195.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.92 PEN 43.84

$2.11 R$10.77

512.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.49

$1.02 R$5.22

58.82%

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

$18.7K PEN 63.5K

$20.2K R$103.4K

-7.47%

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

$25.4K PEN 86.0K

$27.4K R$139.9K

-7.40%

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

$39.23 PEN 133

$26.52 R$136

47.93%

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

$10.33 PEN 35.03

$12.32 R$63.0

-16.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.48 PEN 103

$17.27 R$88.2

76.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.96 PEN 74.5

$24.43 R$125

-10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 PEN 27.73

$18.30 R$93.5

-55.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PEN 15.12

$5.37 R$27.47

-16.95%

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

$59.9 PEN 203

$274 R$1,400

-78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,380 PEN 21.6K

$11.4K R$58.4K

-44.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.74 PEN 128

$22.01 R$112

71.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.29 PEN 75.6

$26.60 R$136

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 PEN 214

$75.9 R$388

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 PEN 192

$62.2 R$318

-9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 PEN 827

$315 R$1,610

-22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 PEN 533

$218 R$1,115

-27.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 PEN 1,853

$343 R$1,752

59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 PEN 1,324

$424 R$2,167

-7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 PEN 6,863

$1,156 R$5,906

75.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 PEN 3,373

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 PEN 2,201

$473 R$2,418

37.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

32.39%

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

Last update for Arequipa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Teresopolis: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Arequipa versus $315 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 37% higher in Arequipa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $25.00 in Teresopolis. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Arequipa vs $176 in Teresopolis – 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 Teresopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Teresopolis costs about 5% more than Arequipa, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $977 per month in Arequipa and $1,022 in Teresopolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, 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 $28.00 in Arequipa and $25.00 in Teresopolis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Teresopolis, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $652 in Arequipa and $682 in Teresopolis, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $652 versus $682 in Teresopolis. 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 Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Teresopolis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.