Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arica and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $111 a month against $1,012 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Arica
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Arica Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$111

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arica and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arica and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $111 per month in Arica vs $1,012 in Lima, rent included.

Arica $111
Lima $1,012

A couple spends around $178 per month in Arica vs $1,589 in Lima, rent included.

Arica $178
Lima $1,589

A family of three spends $246 per month in Arica vs $2,167 in Lima, rent included.

Arica $246
Lima $2,167

Arica is about 89% cheaper than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arica and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Arica 92% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.08

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.61

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.19

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,230

$0.62 PEN 2.11

101.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.12

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 CLP 992

$1.63 PEN 5.60

-38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.76

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.94

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.33

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.49

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.54

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.14

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.24

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.03

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 CLP 691

$0.68 PEN 2.33

2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.37

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.90

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

$22.3K PEN 76.5K

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

$25.5K PEN 87.4K

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

$73.1 PEN 251

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

$16.35 PEN 56.1

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 109

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.6

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.19

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

$182 PEN 626

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.20 CLP 39.6K

$53.8 PEN 184

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.59 CLP 20.3K

$34.32 PEN 118

-40.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 CLP 53.1K

$82.8 PEN 284

-34.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 CLP 90.3K

$78.2 PEN 268

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,472

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,177

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,179

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,231

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,278

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,653

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$504 CLP 496.1K

$648 PEN 2,222

-22.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-44.07%

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

Last update for Arica: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Arica

$93 83.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 20.7% $19

Groceries & Markets

Arica

$10 * 9.1%

Lima

$226 22.3% 2144% $216

Eating Out

Arica

$5 * 4.5%

Lima

$124 12.3% 2385% $119

Getting Around

Arica

$2.8 * 2.5%

Lima

$43 4.3% 1447% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arica

- * 0%

Lima

$117 11.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Arica

- * 0%

Lima

$46 4.6%

Accommodation & Living

Arica

- * 0%

Lima

$343 33.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 29% higher in Lima, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Arica

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

03:46 3:46 AM

2 h behind Arica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,131

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arica Lima 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arica
Lima

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

Arica vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $111 in Arica, $1,012 in Lima – roughly 814% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $166 per month in Arica and $1,518 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $111 in Arica and $1,012 in Lima. That's a gap of about 814%.

Groceries cost about 2144% more in Lima, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $111, than in Lima at $1,012. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lima has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $111 in Arica to $1,012 in Lima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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