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: $711 in China versus $422 in Peru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $670 in Peru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $918 in Peru.

Living in China is roughly 68% more expensive than Peru on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Peru 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.83

$4.08 PEN 14.37

-32.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 ¥165

$28.02 PEN 98.6

-14.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.95

$6.09 PEN 21.43

-18.56%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥21.37

$2.67 PEN 9.38

16.85%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$0.84 PEN 2.97

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.55 PEN 1.93

-50.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.73

$2.24 PEN 7.87

-56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.69

$3.81 PEN 13.42

-43.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.53

$1.35 PEN 4.77

35.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.54

$2.39 PEN 8.41

-29.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.21

$1.28 PEN 4.51

-28.91%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.66

$2.63 PEN 9.27

-40.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥88.9

$6.81 PEN 23.98

90.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥22.23

$5.48 PEN 19.31

-40.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ¥72.0

$9.03 PEN 31.78

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.41

$1.80 PEN 6.32

0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.90

$1.02 PEN 3.59

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.26

$1.00 PEN 3.53

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$1.13 PEN 3.99

1.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$0.97 PEN 3.40

-21.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.07

$0.88 PEN 3.08

1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.97

$0.77 PEN 2.72

-24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$0.78 PEN 2.74

-25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.95

$5.51 PEN 19.38

-36.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ¥79.1

$8.82 PEN 31.06

30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$1.79 PEN 6.29

-56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥11.03

$2.74 PEN 9.66

-41.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.01

$0.59 PEN 2.06

-25.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥145

$16.60 PEN 58.4

27.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.35

$2.17 PEN 7.63

-37.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$1.93 PEN 6.81

-81.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.28

$5.42 PEN 19.08

21.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.74

$1.34 PEN 4.72

-15.67%

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

$19.7K ¥135.2K

$20.1K PEN 70.8K

-1.82%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$24.5K PEN 86.3K

-30.36%

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

$50.9 ¥349

$46.55 PEN 164

9.37%

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

$10.03 ¥68.7

$12.32 PEN 43.36

-18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.6

$25.25 PEN 88.9

-55.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 ¥275

$30.34 PEN 107

32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥103

$16.47 PEN 58.0

-9.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.74

$5.66 PEN 19.93

7.60%

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

$418 ¥2,860

$166 PEN 585

151.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥118.2K

$5,511 PEN 19.4K

213.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.40 ¥318

$48.38 PEN 170

-4.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 ¥226

$31.04 PEN 109

6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥487

$83.9 PEN 295

-15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥499

$78.0 PEN 274

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥3,003

$472 PEN 1,662

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,775

$267 PEN 941

-3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ¥6,341

$825 PEN 2,905

12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,754

$485 PEN 1,707

13.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 ¥34.6K

$2,094 PEN 7,372

140.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 ¥18.3K

$1,235 PEN 4,347

115.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 ¥7,357

$555 PEN 1,955

93.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.63

-61.81%

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

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Last update for Peru: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $141 in Peru. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $610 in Lima.

National salary averages: $834 in China, $530 in Peru. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 103% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 57% higher 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 $873 per month in China and $530 in Peru, there's a 65% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Peru is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.