Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Arequipa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $647 per month in Bandung vs $649 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $949 per month in Bandung vs $1,065 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,251 per month in Bandung vs $1,482 in Arequipa, rent included.

Bandung and Arequipa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Bandung and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Bandung 52% lower, Arequipa 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

$4.13 PEN 14.06

-69.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.42 Rp 169.9K

$28.09 PEN 95.5

-66.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.43 Rp 61.9K

$5.64 PEN 19.18

-39.18%

Cappuccino

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

$2.54 PEN 8.62

-43.31%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,769

$0.82 PEN 2.78

-40.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,479

$0.37 PEN 1.25

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 Rp 59.1K

$2.16 PEN 7.33

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Rp 64.4K

$5.85 PEN 19.90

-38.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-26.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

$1.28 PEN 4.35

-16.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.23 PEN 4.19

-23.58%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$2.15 PEN 7.29

-26.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 Rp 168.3K

$5.52 PEN 18.75

69.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 Rp 54.5K

$5.17 PEN 17.59

-41.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 Rp 142.9K

$7.76 PEN 26.38

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$1.49 PEN 5.07

59.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 24.0K

$1.17 PEN 3.97

13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

$1.19 PEN 4.04

42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$0.77 PEN 2.61

97.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.7K

$0.55 PEN 1.86

169.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 Rp 48.1K

$0.54 PEN 1.84

394.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$0.45 PEN 1.51

113.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,284

$0.72 PEN 2.44

-36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.3K

$4.87 PEN 16.56

-47.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.35 Rp 403.1K

$5.04 PEN 17.12

343.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

$2.46 PEN 8.38

-14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 Rp 62.9K

$2.31 PEN 7.87

51.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,395

$0.29 PEN 0.99

3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 Rp 190.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

$2.06 PEN 7.02

-63.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

$2.06 PEN 7.01

-65.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

$12.77 PEN 43.43

-79.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$1.54 PEN 5.24

-47.40%

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

$24.4K Rp 439.6M

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

31.20%

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

$26.4K Rp 476.2M

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

3.63%

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

$43.12 Rp 777.6K

$39.14 PEN 133

10.17%

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

$4.52 Rp 81.6K

$10.57 PEN 35.94

-57.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.94 Rp 413.8K

$31.04 PEN 106

-26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.48 Rp 387.4K

$21.22 PEN 72.1

1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.62 Rp 119.4K

$8.34 PEN 28.37

-20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

$4.49 PEN 15.27

-29.62%

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

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

$60.0 PEN 204

57.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,577 Rp 136.6M

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

20.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.84 Rp 754.6K

$37.00 PEN 126

13.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.57 Rp 551.2K

$22.10 PEN 75.1

38.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 Rp 1.1M

$62.8 PEN 214

-5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

$56.3 PEN 191

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 Rp 4.2M

$240 PEN 817

-2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$158 PEN 538

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 Rp 8.1M

$540 PEN 1,836

-17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 Rp 4.5M

$386 PEN 1,314

-36.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$723 Rp 13.0M

$1,956 PEN 6,650

-63.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$309 Rp 5.6M

$993 PEN 3,377

-68.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 Rp 5.1M

$650 PEN 2,210

-56.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

-39.00%

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

Last update for Bandung: June 2, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in Bandung versus $240 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 129% higher in Arequipa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Bandung versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Bandung vs $171 in Arequipa – 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

Bandung vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $971 per month in Bandung and $974 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Arequipa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Bandung and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $647 in Bandung and $649 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bandung costs $647 versus $649 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 Bandung. 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.