Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $696 a month against $865 in Trujillo, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
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Trujillo Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$696

/mo nomad

Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Trujillo

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

A single person spends $696 per month in Arequipa vs $865 in Trujillo, rent included.

Arequipa $696
Trujillo $865

A couple spends around $1,094 per month in Arequipa vs $1,332 in Trujillo, rent included.

Arequipa $1,094
Trujillo $1,332

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Arequipa vs $1,799 in Trujillo, rent included.

Arequipa $1,492
Trujillo $1,799

Arequipa is about 20% cheaper than Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arequipa and Trujillo are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 49% lower, Trujillo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 PEN 11.68

$3.42 PEN 11.76

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.99 PEN 89.5

$22.82 PEN 78.5

13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 PEN 19.71

$7.05 PEN 24.26

-18.72%

Cappuccino

$2.50 PEN 8.61

$3.36 PEN 11.57

-25.60%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$0.95 PEN 3.28

-13.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 PEN 1.32

$0.65 PEN 2.23

-41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 PEN 7.04

$2.00 PEN 6.88

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 PEN 9.99

$3.47 PEN 11.96

-16.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.36 PEN 4.70

-6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

$1.98 PEN 6.83

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.19

$1.18 PEN 4.05

27.97%

Eggs

$2.34 PEN 8.05

$4.09 PEN 14.08

-42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PEN 21.56

$7.75 PEN 26.68

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 PEN 15.15

$6.60 PEN 22.72

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 PEN 24.67

$9.26 PEN 31.88

-22.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 PEN 5.90

$1.66 PEN 5.72

3.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.25

$0.61 PEN 2.09

103.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.91

$0.59 PEN 2.05

93.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.43

$0.85 PEN 2.94

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 PEN 2.14

$0.92 PEN 3.16

-32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.30

$1.18 PEN 4.06

-43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.77

$1.21 PEN 4.17

-57.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.62

$1.13 PEN 3.89

-32.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.69

$4.34 PEN 14.95

18.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 PEN 17.04

$5.81 PEN 19.99

-14.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PEN 9.16

$1.77 PEN 6.09

50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.69

$1.54 PEN 5.31

44.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.60 PEN 2.05

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.98 PEN 58.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 PEN 6.77

$2.47 PEN 8.50

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.06

$2.12 PEN 7.29

-3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 PEN 43.78

$5.64 PEN 19.41

125.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.45

$1.62 PEN 5.59

-2.47%

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

$19.0K PEN 65.3K

$17.2K PEN 59.2K

10.27%

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

$25.3K PEN 87.2K

$27.1K PEN 93.4K

-6.64%

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

$23.50 PEN 80.9

$96.7 PEN 333

-75.69%

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

$10.28 PEN 35.38

$13.12 PEN 45.16

-21.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 PEN 78.5

$26.57 PEN 91.5

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 PEN 83.8

$38.73 PEN 133

-37.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 PEN 26.74

$5.90 PEN 20.32

31.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 PEN 24.20

$4.42 PEN 15.20

59.05%

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

$73.9 PEN 254

$108 PEN 373

-31.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 PEN 23.0K

$2,074 PEN 7,139

222.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 PEN 165

$70.7 PEN 243

-32.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 PEN 88.8

$14.28 PEN 49.16

80.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 PEN 226

$45.39 PEN 156

44.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 PEN 201

$43.88 PEN 151

32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 PEN 1,199

$376 PEN 1,295

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 PEN 796

$254 PEN 875

-8.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,473

$747 PEN 2,572

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 PEN 1,414

$505 PEN 1,740

-18.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 PEN 6,591

$1,143 PEN 3,933

67.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 PEN 3,349

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 PEN 2,083

$548 PEN 1,888

10.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

28.21%

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

Last update for Arequipa: November 3, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$231 33.3%

Trujillo

$254 29.4% 9.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$172 24.7%

Trujillo

$204 23.6% 18.8% $32

Eating Out

Arequipa

$95 13.7%

Trujillo

$112 13% 17.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$89 12.8%

Trujillo

$78 9.1% 11.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Trujillo

$136 15.8% 141% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$38 5.5%

Trujillo

$48 5.5% 23.8% $9.2

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Trujillo

$32 3.8% 143% $19

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 $376 in Trujillo. 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 10% 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 $26 in Arequipa versus $23 in Trujillo. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Arequipa vs $204 in Trujillo – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

314,939

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Trujillo 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Trujillo

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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trujillo costs about 24% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,298 in Trujillo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $348 in Arequipa and $376 in Trujillo. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Arequipa and $23 in Trujillo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Trujillo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Trujillo at $865. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trujillo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arequipa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.