Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huánuco and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Huánuco: $26.98 a month against $696 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Huánuco

🇵🇪 Peru

$26.98

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Huánuco 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 Huánuco and in Arequipa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $27 per month in Huánuco vs $696 in Arequipa, rent included.

Huánuco $27
Arequipa $696

A couple spends around $78 per month in Huánuco vs $1,094 in Arequipa, rent included.

Huánuco $78
Arequipa $1,094

A family of three spends $130 per month in Huánuco vs $1,492 in Arequipa, rent included.

Huánuco $130
Arequipa $1,492

Huánuco is about 96% cheaper than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Huánuco and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Huánuco 98% lower, Arequipa 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 PEN 10.15

$3.39 PEN 11.73

-13.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.38 PEN 49.75

$25.99 PEN 89.9

-44.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 PEN 19.81

Cappuccino

$2.50 PEN 8.65

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

$0.60 PEN 2.06

$0.82 PEN 2.82

-26.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.38 PEN 1.33

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 PEN 7.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 PEN 10.04

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.38

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PEN 5.22

Eggs

$2.34 PEN 8.08

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PEN 21.66

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 PEN 15.23

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 PEN 24.79

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 PEN 5.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.93

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.44

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 PEN 2.16

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 PEN 17.78

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 PEN 17.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PEN 9.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 PEN 6.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 PEN 44.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.48

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

$19.0K PEN 65.6K

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

$25.3K PEN 87.6K

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

$23.50 PEN 81.3

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

$10.28 PEN 35.56

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 PEN 78.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 PEN 84.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 PEN 26.87

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 PEN 24.32

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

$73.9 PEN 256

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 PEN 23.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 PEN 166

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 PEN 89.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 PEN 227

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 PEN 202

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 PEN 1,205

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 PEN 800

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,486

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 PEN 1,421

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 PEN 6,623

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 PEN 3,365

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 PEN 2,093

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Huánuco: November 2, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$231 33.3%

Groceries & Markets

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$172 24.7%

Eating Out

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$95 13.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$89 12.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$38 5.5%

Getting Around

Huánuco

–

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Huánuco versus $26 in Arequipa. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Huánuco

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

Same time as Huánuco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,502

17,062

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Huánuco Arequipa 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Huánuco
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

Huánuco vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 2479% more than Huánuco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $40 per month in Huánuco and $1,044 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $27 in Huánuco and $696 in Arequipa. That makes Huánuco about 96% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Huánuco and $26 in Arequipa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $27 in Huánuco and $696 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arequipa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $27 in Huánuco to $696 in Arequipa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.