Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cordoba and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,351 in Cordoba, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Cordoba
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Cordoba Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
Learn more

Arequipa Living Index

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Cordoba

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,351

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cordoba and in Arequipa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cordoba and in Arequipa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Cordoba vs $719 in Arequipa, rent included.

Cordoba $1,351
Arequipa $719

A couple spends around $2,281 per month in Cordoba vs $1,114 in Arequipa, rent included.

Cordoba $2,281
Arequipa $1,114

A family of three spends $3,211 per month in Cordoba vs $1,510 in Arequipa, rent included.

Cordoba $3,211
Arequipa $1,510

Cordoba costs about 88% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cordoba sits 1% above the global median, while Arequipa is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$3.41 PEN 11.69

302.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 ARS 80.8K

$27.27 PEN 93.5

95.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 ARS 20.0K

$5.68 PEN 19.46

132.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ARS 5,609

$2.47 PEN 8.45

49.80%

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

$2.56 ARS 3,880

$0.82 PEN 2.82

212.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,074

$0.38 PEN 1.31

434.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ARS 5,099

$2.07 PEN 7.10

62.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ARS 5,517

$4.40 PEN 15.08

-17.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ARS 2,470

$1.33 PEN 4.57

22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ARS 4,283

$1.36 PEN 4.68

107.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,121

$1.52 PEN 5.20

35.53%

Eggs

$2.45 ARS 3,722

$2.25 PEN 7.73

8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 ARS 15.4K

$6.39 PEN 21.89

58.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 ARS 12.4K

$4.37 PEN 14.98

87.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.48 ARS 17.4K

$7.48 PEN 25.65

53.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ARS 3,886

$1.77 PEN 6.07

44.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ARS 3,490

$1.22 PEN 4.19

88.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ARS 2,511

$1.13 PEN 3.89

46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,170

$1.03 PEN 3.52

166.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,780

$0.64 PEN 2.19

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,041

$0.67 PEN 2.30

101.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ARS 1,908

$0.54 PEN 1.86

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,554

$0.76 PEN 2.60

121.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 ARS 7,564

$5.18 PEN 17.76

-3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.86 ARS 7,368

$5.04 PEN 17.26

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,433

$2.72 PEN 9.34

-16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ARS 5,554

$2.20 PEN 7.55

66.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ARS 1,931

$0.28 PEN 0.95

353.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 ARS 86.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ARS 1,947

$2.01 PEN 6.88

-36.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ARS 2,945

$1.97 PEN 6.76

-1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 ARS 10.8K

$13.00 PEN 44.55

-45.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ARS 1,761

$1.53 PEN 5.26

-24.18%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$19.2K PEN 65.7K

82.60%

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

$36.1K ARS 54.7M

$25.0K PEN 85.8K

44.04%

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

$159 ARS 241.3K

$24.05 PEN 82.5

561.54%

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

$17.46 ARS 26.5K

$10.15 PEN 34.80

72.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 ARS 49.0K

$23.01 PEN 78.9

40.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.56 ARS 43.3K

$25.05 PEN 85.9

14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.34 ARS 35.4K

$8.13 PEN 27.88

187.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 ARS 15.3K

$7.41 PEN 25.39

36.44%

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

$218 ARS 331.0K

$74.8 PEN 256

191.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,151 ARS 6.3M

$6,596 PEN 22.6K

-37.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 ARS 192.7K

$48.85 PEN 167

160.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$103 ARS 156.9K

$26.46 PEN 90.7

290.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ARS 213.2K

$68.0 PEN 233

106.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ARS 202.9K

$57.3 PEN 196

133.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 741.9K

$354 PEN 1,213

38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ARS 464.6K

$236 PEN 809

29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 ARS 1.5M

$714 PEN 2,449

40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 ARS 1.2M

$418 PEN 1,431

89.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 ARS 4.2M

$1,991 PEN 6,824

38.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ARS 2.4M

$974 PEN 3,340

63.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 ARS 994.5K

$617 PEN 2,115

6.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

48.5

223.33%

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

Last update for Cordoba: October 4, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cordoba

$306 22.3%

Arequipa

$236 33.3% 23% $70

Groceries & Markets

Cordoba

$275 20%

Arequipa

$174 24.6% 36.8% $101

Eating Out

Cordoba

$236 17.2%

Arequipa

$98 13.8% 58.6% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Cordoba

$227 16.5%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 60.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cordoba

$209 15.2%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 72.6% $152

Getting Around

Cordoba

$73 5.3%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8% 82.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cordoba

$49 3.6%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 18.3% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Cordoba versus $354 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 6% higher in Cordoba, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Cordoba versus $27.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Cordoba

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

2 h behind Cordoba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,655,481

17,062

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cordoba Arequipa 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cordoba
Arequipa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cordoba vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cordoba costs about 88% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,027 per month in Cordoba and $1,078 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Cordoba and $27.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Cordoba, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Cordoba at $1,351. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cordoba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 versus $1,351 in Cordoba. 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 Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cordoba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.