Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Arequipa

😐 Solo nomad: Cusco is 23.1% more expensive than Arequipa without rent, and 18.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Cusco is 30.5% more expensive than Arequipa without rent, and 3.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.85 PEN 9.67
$4.15 PEN 14.05
-31.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.17 PEN 95.5
$28.05 PEN 95.1
0.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 PEN 18.59
$5.45 PEN 18.47
0.55%
Cappuccino
$1.98 PEN 6.71
$2.52 PEN 8.55
-21.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 PEN 4.20
$0.76 PEN 2.58
63.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 PEN 2.51
$0.40 PEN 1.34
85.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 PEN 7.31
$2.25 PEN 7.63
-4.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.07 PEN 13.81
$6.04 PEN 20.47
-32.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 PEN 4.84
$1.52 PEN 5.17
-5.92%
White Bread (500g)
$3.03 PEN 10.28
$1.28 PEN 4.34
136.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 PEN 4.29
$1.27 PEN 4.30
-
Eggs
$3.88 PEN 13.15
$2.08 PEN 7.07
86.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.75 PEN 16.10
$5.44 PEN 18.44
-12.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.86 PEN 16.47
$5.24 PEN 17.78
-7.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.97 PEN 23.62
$7.50 PEN 25.42
-7.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.36 PEN 7.98
$1.49 PEN 5.06
58.39%
Banana (1kg)
$0.72 PEN 2.44
$1.18 PEN 4.00
-38.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 PEN 4.34
$1.22 PEN 4.12
4.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.89 PEN 3.02
$0.82 PEN 2.78
8.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 PEN 3.56
$0.58 PEN 1.97
81.03%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 PEN 3.21
$0.55 PEN 1.85
72.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 PEN 2.22
$0.44 PEN 1.50
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 PEN 2.52
$0.73 PEN 2.46
1.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.92 PEN 16.68
$4.87 PEN 16.50
1.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.59 PEN 22.33
$5.18 PEN 17.55
27.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 PEN 6.71
$2.48 PEN 8.42
-20.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 PEN 10.32
$2.22 PEN 7.54
36.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 PEN 0.98
$0.27 PEN 0.90
7.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.71 PEN 5.80
$2.05 PEN 6.96
-16.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 PEN 5.43
$2.06 PEN 6.97
-22.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 PEN 9.21
$12.90 PEN 43.74
-78.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 PEN 5.21
$1.54 PEN 5.24
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.4K PEN 62.4K
$18.9K PEN 64.0K
-2.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K PEN 75.6K
$25.2K PEN 85.5K
-11.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.15 PEN 112
$39.50 PEN 134
-16.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.93 PEN 47.21
$10.48 PEN 35.54
32.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.89 PEN 105
$30.17 PEN 102
2.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.50 PEN 103
$21.27 PEN 72.1
43.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.50 PEN 28.81
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.72 PEN 15.99
$4.52 PEN 15.34
4.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$59.6 PEN 202
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$6,330 PEN 21.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.74 PEN 125
$38.11 PEN 129
-3.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.24 PEN 95.7
$22.08 PEN 74.9
27.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.3 PEN 211
$63.4 PEN 215
-1.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.4 PEN 245
$55.1 PEN 187
31.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$310 PEN 1,052
$244 PEN 826
27.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$253 PEN 857
$160 PEN 543
57.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$592 PEN 2,006
$539 PEN 1,827
9.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$419 PEN 1,421
$390 PEN 1,322
7.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 PEN 13.3K
$2,038 PEN 6,908
91.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,828 PEN 6,198
$990 PEN 3,356
84.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cusco
Arequipa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$429 PEN 1,454
$658 PEN 2,229
-34.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
15
-26.67%

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

Last update for Cusco: March 2, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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