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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $566 per month in La Merced vs $719 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $926 per month in La Merced vs $1,136 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,286 per month in La Merced vs $1,553 in Arequipa, rent included.

La Merced is about 21% cheaper than Arequipa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both La Merced and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – La Merced 59% lower, Arequipa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 PEN 15.15

$3.53 PEN 11.92

27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 PEN 121

$28.40 PEN 95.8

26.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.73

$6.06 PEN 20.46

16.01%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.53

$2.59 PEN 8.75

32.05%

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

$1.14 PEN 3.86

$0.85 PEN 2.86

34.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$0.37 PEN 1.25

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 PEN 9.15

$2.10 PEN 7.07

29.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 PEN 15.48

$4.39 PEN 14.82

4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 PEN 5.67

$1.36 PEN 4.60

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 PEN 6.94

$1.39 PEN 4.69

48.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.40

$1.48 PEN 5.01

-12.16%

Eggs

$2.42 PEN 8.16

$2.35 PEN 7.93

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 PEN 25.31

$6.51 PEN 21.97

15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.12

$4.58 PEN 15.44

30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 PEN 30.66

$7.68 PEN 25.92

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.77 PEN 5.98

-43.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 PEN 1.57

$1.26 PEN 4.26

-62.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.31 PEN 1.05

$1.18 PEN 3.97

-73.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 PEN 2.38

$1.06 PEN 3.59

-33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PEN 1.06

$0.68 PEN 2.30

-54.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PEN 1.59

$0.68 PEN 2.30

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.09

$0.56 PEN 1.90

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$0.76 PEN 2.56

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 PEN 20.05

$5.09 PEN 17.19

16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 PEN 25.76

$5.12 PEN 17.27

49.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 PEN 6.68

$2.76 PEN 9.30

-28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 PEN 11.18

$2.32 PEN 7.82

42.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 PEN 1.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 PEN 13.91

$2.09 PEN 7.06

97.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 6.93

$2.12 PEN 7.14

-3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 PEN 24.87

$13.12 PEN 44.26

-43.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.81

$1.56 PEN 5.27

10.26%

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

$22.3K PEN 75.3K

$19.1K PEN 64.6K

16.68%

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

$25.9K PEN 87.2K

$25.8K PEN 87.0K

0.28%

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

$70.0 PEN 236

$24.60 PEN 83.0

184.72%

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

$17.07 PEN 57.6

$10.35 PEN 34.93

64.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 PEN 95.1

$23.49 PEN 79.3

19.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.85 PEN 83.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PEN 27.13

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 PEN 25.64

$7.34 PEN 24.77

3.54%

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

$183 PEN 618

$76.7 PEN 259

138.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 44.9K

$6,936 PEN 23.4K

92.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 PEN 184

$49.48 PEN 167

10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 PEN 119

$27.26 PEN 92.0

29.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 PEN 286

$67.3 PEN 227

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 PEN 272

$60.6 PEN 204

33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 PEN 1,207

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 PEN 803

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 PEN 2,517

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 PEN 1,455

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 PEN 6,765

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,007 PEN 3,397

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$630 PEN 2,124

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

-40.40%

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

Last update for La Merced: September 13, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in La Merced versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $178 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

La Merced vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 27% more than La Merced, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $849 per month in La Merced and $1,079 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in La Merced and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Arequipa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $566 in La Merced and $719 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Merced costs $566 versus $719 in Arequipa. 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 La Merced. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arequipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.