Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayacucho and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $705 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
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Ayacucho Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
Learn more

Arequipa Living Index

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Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ayacucho and in Arequipa

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

A single person spends $474 per month in Ayacucho vs $705 in Arequipa, rent included.

Ayacucho $474
Arequipa $705

A couple spends around $766 per month in Ayacucho vs $1,112 in Arequipa, rent included.

Ayacucho $766
Arequipa $1,112

A family of three spends $1,058 per month in Ayacucho vs $1,519 in Arequipa, rent included.

Ayacucho $1,058
Arequipa $1,519

Ayacucho is about 33% cheaper than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ayacucho and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Ayacucho 65% lower, Arequipa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$3.51 PEN 12.11

-51.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 PEN 96.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PEN 20.36

Cappuccino

$1.78 PEN 6.12

$2.55 PEN 8.78

-30.20%

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

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.82 PEN 2.84

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$0.36 PEN 1.23

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PEN 5.08

$2.06 PEN 7.11

-28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 PEN 15.09

$4.32 PEN 14.89

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.40

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 PEN 4.88

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$1.53 PEN 5.28

-63.40%

Eggs

$1.79 PEN 6.17

$2.35 PEN 8.10

-23.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.95 PEN 10.18

$6.23 PEN 21.49

-52.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 PEN 14.73

$4.39 PEN 15.13

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.66 PEN 19.50

$7.24 PEN 24.95

-21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.08

$1.77 PEN 6.09

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$1.23 PEN 4.24

-53.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PEN 2.09

$1.13 PEN 3.91

-46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$0.99 PEN 3.41

-43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

$0.66 PEN 2.28

-54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$0.69 PEN 2.37

-56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.51 PEN 1.76

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$0.79 PEN 2.73

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.70

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 PEN 20.32

$5.01 PEN 17.25

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 PEN 10.27

$2.78 PEN 9.58

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 15.16

$2.28 PEN 7.86

92.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$0.30 PEN 1.05

103.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.47 PEN 122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 PEN 7.80

$2.09 PEN 7.20

8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 PEN 3.95

$1.99 PEN 6.86

-42.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 PEN 14.85

$12.92 PEN 44.55

-66.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.88

$1.53 PEN 5.29

11.76%

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

$9,956 PEN 34.3K

$18.9K PEN 65.1K

-47.25%

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

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

$25.1K PEN 86.6K

-50.95%

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

$23.75 PEN 81.9

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

$11.47 PEN 39.52

$10.23 PEN 35.26

12.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 PEN 59.2

$23.57 PEN 81.2

-27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.48 PEN 49.91

$24.69 PEN 85.1

-41.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 PEN 101

$7.82 PEN 26.96

276.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 PEN 15.31

$7.09 PEN 24.46

-37.38%

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

$72.4 PEN 250

$75.3 PEN 259

-3.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,659 PEN 23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.29 PEN 59.6

$49.26 PEN 170

-64.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.45 PEN 91.2

$26.33 PEN 90.8

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 PEN 353

$66.2 PEN 228

54.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 PEN 355

$56.9 PEN 196

81.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 PEN 1,180

$356 PEN 1,229

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.5 PEN 305

$232 PEN 801

-61.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 PEN 2,968

$708 PEN 2,441

21.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 PEN 799

$412 PEN 1,420

-43.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 PEN 6,493

$1,990 PEN 6,859

-5.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 PEN 5,995

$974 PEN 3,357

78.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 PEN 1,624

$604 PEN 2,083

-22.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3%

Arequipa

$174 24.7% 45.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ayacucho

$112 23.6%

Arequipa

$89 12.7% 20.2% $23

Accommodation & Living

Ayacucho

$88 18.7%

Arequipa

$232 32.9% 163% $144

Eating Out

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8%

Arequipa

$100 14.2% 79.3% $44

Getting Around

Ayacucho

$46 9.7%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9% 71.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ayacucho

$29 * 6%

Arequipa

$58 8.2% 101% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ayacucho

$23 4.9%

Arequipa

$39 5.5% 66.4% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $342 in Ayacucho versus $356 in Arequipa. 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 28% higher in Arequipa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

Same time as Ayacucho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,427

17,062

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ayacucho Arequipa 460 km

From you

Ayacucho
Arequipa

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

Ayacucho vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 49% more than Ayacucho, 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 $711 per month in Ayacucho and $1,058 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $342 in Ayacucho and $356 in Arequipa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $474 in Ayacucho and $705 in Arequipa. That makes Ayacucho about 33% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Arequipa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $474 in Ayacucho and $705 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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