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: $712 in China versus $420 in Peru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $665 in Peru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $910 in Peru.

Living in China is roughly 70% more expensive than in Peru on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.35

$4.14 PEN 13.99

-34.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$27.95 PEN 94.5

-16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.84

$6.05 PEN 20.45

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.88

$2.59 PEN 8.75

18.92%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$0.91 PEN 3.07

-47.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.54 PEN 1.83

-46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.75

$2.26 PEN 7.63

-55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$3.91 PEN 13.21

-46.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$1.34 PEN 4.54

30.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.27

$2.42 PEN 8.19

-30.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.68

$1.29 PEN 4.37

-23.26%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.61 PEN 8.83

-39.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$6.91 PEN 23.38

89.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.42

$5.33 PEN 18.03

-37.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$9.05 PEN 30.59

19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.77 PEN 5.97

0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.40

$1.03 PEN 3.47

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.19

$1.00 PEN 3.38

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$1.10 PEN 3.71

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.17

$0.97 PEN 3.29

-21.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$0.95 PEN 3.20

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$0.71 PEN 2.39

-18.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$0.81 PEN 2.75

-34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.32

$5.67 PEN 19.17

-39.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.9

$7.61 PEN 25.75

57.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.58

$1.82 PEN 6.17

-54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.17

$2.71 PEN 9.15

-39.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.54 PEN 1.82

-20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$16.38 PEN 55.4

26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.34

$2.19 PEN 7.40

-36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.94 PEN 6.56

-82.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.59

$5.41 PEN 18.28

24.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.32 PEN 4.47

-14.39%

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

$19.6K ¥132.8K

$20.3K PEN 68.5K

-3.20%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$24.2K PEN 81.8K

-30.54%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$46.55 PEN 157

8.92%

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

$10.12 ¥68.5

$12.32 PEN 41.65

-17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.3

$25.98 PEN 87.9

-56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥273

$30.67 PEN 104

31.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.6

$16.78 PEN 56.8

-13.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.34

$5.71 PEN 19.32

12.08%

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

$417 ¥2,822

$165 PEN 557

153.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.7K

$5,643 PEN 19.1K

205.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$48.20 PEN 163

-5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$30.56 PEN 103

5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥494

$80.9 PEN 274

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥498

$79.0 PEN 267

-6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,931

$478 PEN 1,616

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,768

$268 PEN 906

-2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,126

$820 PEN 2,775

10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,606

$485 PEN 1,641

9.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.6K

$2,175 PEN 7,357

128.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$1,194 PEN 4,039

110.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,194

$584 PEN 1,973

82.17%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Peru: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $142 in Peru. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $622 in Lima.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $536 in Peru. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 102% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 61% 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 $862 per month in China and $526 in Peru, there's a 64% 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.