Cost of Living Comparison Between La Merced and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between La Merced and Arequipa

😐 Solo nomad: La Merced is 6.6% more expensive than Arequipa without rent, and 17.6% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: La Merced is 26.2% more expensive than Arequipa without rent, and 19.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.09 PEN 14.15
$4.15 PEN 14.34
-1.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.07 PEN 114
$28.05 PEN 97.1
17.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.83 PEN 23.64
$5.45 PEN 18.85
25.32%
Cappuccino
$2.65 PEN 9.16
$2.52 PEN 8.73
5.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 PEN 3.40
$0.76 PEN 2.64
28.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.24
$0.40 PEN 1.37
62.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 PEN 7.54
$2.25 PEN 7.79
-3.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 PEN 13.72
$6.04 PEN 20.89
-34.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 PEN 5.09
$1.52 PEN 5.27
-3.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 PEN 6.56
$1.28 PEN 4.43
48.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 PEN 4.27
$1.27 PEN 4.39
-3.15%
Eggs
$2.15 PEN 7.45
$2.08 PEN 7.21
3.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.81 PEN 23.55
$5.44 PEN 18.82
25.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.69 PEN 19.68
$5.24 PEN 18.14
8.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.57 PEN 29.66
$7.50 PEN 25.95
14.27%
Apples (1kg)
$0.93 PEN 3.22
$1.49 PEN 5.16
-37.58%
Banana (1kg)
$0.40 PEN 1.39
$1.18 PEN 4.09
-66.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.27 PEN 0.92
$1.22 PEN 4.21
-77.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.72 PEN 2.47
$0.82 PEN 2.84
-12.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 PEN 1.01
$0.58 PEN 2.01
-50.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.40 PEN 1.38
$0.55 PEN 1.89
-27.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 PEN 1.99
$0.44 PEN 1.53
29.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 PEN 3.07
$0.73 PEN 2.51
21.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.58 PEN 19.32
$4.87 PEN 16.84
14.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.52 PEN 26.01
$5.18 PEN 17.92
45.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 PEN 6.04
$2.48 PEN 8.59
-29.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 PEN 10.22
$2.22 PEN 7.69
32.88%
🚌 Getting Around
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.27 PEN 0.92
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 PEN 11.47
$2.05 PEN 7.11
61.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 PEN 7.61
$2.06 PEN 7.12
6.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.35 PEN 28.87
$12.90 PEN 44.64
-35.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 PEN 4.57
$1.54 PEN 5.34
-14.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.8K PEN 68.4K
$18.9K PEN 65.3K
4.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K PEN 86.3K
$25.2K PEN 87.2K
-1.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.0 PEN 197
$39.50 PEN 137
44.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.54 PEN 43.40
$10.48 PEN 36.27
19.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.17 PEN 83.6
$30.17 PEN 104
-19.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$21.27 PEN 73.6
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.50 PEN 29.40
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.74 PEN 23.32
$4.52 PEN 15.66
49.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$223 PEN 771
$59.6 PEN 206
273.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,017 PEN 27.7K
$6,330 PEN 21.9K
26.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.92 PEN 173
$38.11 PEN 132
30.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.73 PEN 127
$22.08 PEN 76.4
66.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 PEN 313
$63.4 PEN 219
42.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 PEN 309
$55.1 PEN 191
61.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$244 PEN 843
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$160 PEN 555
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$539 PEN 1,865
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$390 PEN 1,349
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,038 PEN 7,051
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$990 PEN 3,425
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Merced
Arequipa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$658 PEN 2,275
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.11
15
-32.60%

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

Last update for La Merced: March 1, 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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