Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Peru Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Peru

Name: Peru
Address: PE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $506 in Peru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $792 in Peru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,078 in Peru.

Living in China is roughly 42% more expensive than in Peru on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Peru 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.58

$3.48 PEN 11.75

-16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$29.90 PEN 101

-25.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.33

$6.63 PEN 22.38

-22.62%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.03

$3.18 PEN 10.73

-5.97%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$0.96 PEN 3.24

-45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.56 PEN 1.90

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

$2.35 PEN 7.93

-55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.17

$3.53 PEN 11.91

-35.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$1.54 PEN 5.20

17.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$2.41 PEN 8.13

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$1.33 PEN 4.49

-32.33%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.43

$2.77 PEN 9.34

-43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.7

$8.07 PEN 27.23

64.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.39

$5.96 PEN 20.10

-41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$9.21 PEN 31.06

21.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$1.78 PEN 5.99

4.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.06 PEN 3.56

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$1.21 PEN 4.08

26.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.45

$1.28 PEN 4.33

-1.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$0.96 PEN 3.23

-23.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$0.88 PEN 2.97

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$0.83 PEN 2.80

-21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.87 PEN 2.93

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.84

$5.79 PEN 19.53

-35.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

$7.86 PEN 26.52

50.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$2.05 PEN 6.91

-58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

$2.94 PEN 9.91

-43.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.63 PEN 2.11

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

$24.23 PEN 81.7

-6.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.07

$2.42 PEN 8.15

-38.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$2.14 PEN 7.22

-83.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.83

$5.91 PEN 19.95

23.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$1.56 PEN 5.26

-21.79%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$22.2K PEN 74.7K

-14.27%

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$25.5K PEN 85.9K

-31.83%

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

$54.0 ¥361

$55.4 PEN 187

-2.49%

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

$8.41 ¥56.3

$14.12 PEN 47.62

-40.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.4

$26.52 PEN 89.5

-59.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

$31.03 PEN 105

30.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥98.0

$17.90 PEN 60.4

-18.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.17

$5.92 PEN 19.96

11.49%

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

$452 ¥3,024

$162 PEN 548

178.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.8K

$11.6K PEN 39.0K

66.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$51.1 PEN 172

-13.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥237

$30.22 PEN 102

17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

$76.1 PEN 257

-1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥526

$71.8 PEN 242

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,641

$499 PEN 1,684

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,630

$256 PEN 864

-4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,659

$874 PEN 2,949

-3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,220

$479 PEN 1,615

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.9K

$2,253 PEN 7,601

104.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$1,239 PEN 4,181

87.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,098

$586 PEN 1,975

81.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.6

-63.85%

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Peru: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $197 in Peru. Capital cities: $985 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $764 in Lima.

National salary averages: $867 in China, $544 in Peru. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 49% higher in China.

Public transport is 113% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 59% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Peru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $572 in Peru, there's a 46% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Peru: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Peru across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Peru, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Peru wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.