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: $717 in China versus $499 in Peru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,144 in China versus $785 in Peru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,571 in China versus $1,070 in Peru.

Living in China is roughly 44% more expensive than in Peru on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ¥20.49

$3.52 PEN 11.88

-13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 ¥147

$29.93 PEN 101

-27.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 ¥35.79

$5.93 PEN 20.02

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥20.23

$2.99 PEN 10.10

0.33%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$0.96 PEN 3.25

-51.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.55 PEN 1.87

-49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.10

$2.41 PEN 8.14

-56.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.61

$3.59 PEN 12.10

-39.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.19

$1.49 PEN 5.02

21.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.47

$2.43 PEN 8.20

-30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.26

$1.40 PEN 4.71

-33.57%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.82

$2.65 PEN 8.94

-39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ¥88.4

$7.86 PEN 26.53

66.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.81

$5.79 PEN 19.53

-41.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 ¥74.3

$9.07 PEN 30.60

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.08

$1.73 PEN 5.84

3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.65

$0.99 PEN 3.34

29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.24

$1.23 PEN 4.15

23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$1.23 PEN 4.16

1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$0.90 PEN 3.04

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.32

$0.82 PEN 2.77

14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.77 PEN 2.60

-22.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥4.01

$0.89 PEN 3.02

-33.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.58

$5.94 PEN 20.06

-36.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 ¥81.5

$7.61 PEN 25.68

58.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.64

$2.06 PEN 6.94

-59.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.13

$3.17 PEN 10.68

-47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.12

$0.57 PEN 1.92

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ¥151

$23.94 PEN 80.8

-6.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ¥9.75

$2.41 PEN 8.12

-40.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$2.06 PEN 6.94

-83.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 ¥48.90

$5.97 PEN 20.16

21.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.51

$1.59 PEN 5.38

-20.75%

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

$19.2K ¥130.0K

$21.6K PEN 72.9K

-10.95%

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

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$25.6K PEN 86.5K

-34.37%

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

$54.7 ¥369

$55.1 PEN 186

-0.76%

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

$8.50 ¥57.4

$13.78 PEN 46.49

-38.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.54 ¥71.2

$25.48 PEN 86.0

-58.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.63 ¥268

$31.18 PEN 105

27.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 ¥97.6

$17.39 PEN 58.7

-16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ¥43.72

$5.79 PEN 19.55

11.74%

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

$451 ¥3,044

$165 PEN 558

172.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K ¥128.2K

$11.6K PEN 39.2K

63.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 ¥300

$48.46 PEN 164

-8.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 ¥233

$29.21 PEN 98.6

18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 ¥507

$72.6 PEN 245

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 ¥525

$71.7 PEN 242

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,560

$512 PEN 1,726

-25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,556

$247 PEN 834

-6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ¥5,571

$894 PEN 3,018

-7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ¥3,213

$467 PEN 1,575

1.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,572 ¥30.9K

$2,213 PEN 7,468

106.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,328 ¥15.7K

$1,288 PEN 4,347

80.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 ¥7,196

$572 PEN 1,930

86.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.48

9.69

-64.09%

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

Last update for China: August 1, 2026

Last update for Peru: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $196 in Peru. Capital cities: $955 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $761 in Lima.

National salary averages: $854 in China, $539 in Peru. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in China.

Dining out costs 10% more in Peru.

Public transport is 113% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 58% 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 $848 per month in China and $551 in Peru, there's a 54% 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.