Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
Learn more

Arequipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $709 in Arequipa, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Arequipa $709

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $1,117 in Arequipa, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Arequipa $1,117

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $1,524 in Arequipa, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Arequipa $1,524

Mexico City costs about 118% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Arequipa is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.46 PEN 11.87

218.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$27.89 PEN 95.8

74.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.93 PEN 20.37

83.81%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.42 PEN 8.31

52.07%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.81 PEN 2.78

101.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.39 PEN 1.33

220.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$2.09 PEN 7.16

55.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.27 PEN 14.68

29.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.34 PEN 4.61

26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.36 PEN 4.66

122.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.45 PEN 4.99

32.41%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.29 PEN 7.85

19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$6.25 PEN 21.47

88.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.59 PEN 15.75

107.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$7.33 PEN 25.16

96.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.76 PEN 6.03

71.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.18 PEN 4.05

60.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.13 PEN 3.88

76.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.99 PEN 3.41

121.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.67 PEN 2.29

186.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.67 PEN 2.31

179.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.56 PEN 1.91

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.76 PEN 2.60

67.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$5.13 PEN 17.62

1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.18 PEN 17.80

212.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.67 PEN 9.17

-28.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.30 PEN 7.90

83.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.28 PEN 0.95

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.02 PEN 6.92

-0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.01 PEN 6.92

-74.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$13.01 PEN 44.68

-58.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.54 PEN 5.28

-1.30%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

16.65%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

-2.50%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$23.36 PEN 80.2

161.43%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$10.26 PEN 35.24

178.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$23.44 PEN 80.5

47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$25.08 PEN 86.1

124.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$8.00 PEN 27.47

211.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$7.35 PEN 25.24

-9.39%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$75.3 PEN 258

467.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

76.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$47.74 PEN 164

42.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$26.42 PEN 90.7

96.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$67.6 PEN 232

56.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$57.5 PEN 198

95.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$347 PEN 1,192

195.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$237 PEN 813

176.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$719 PEN 2,471

220.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$419 PEN 1,439

196.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,963 PEN 6,740

84.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$989 PEN 3,397

95.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$619 PEN 2,125

55.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-24.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Arequipa

$237 33.4% 63.8% $418

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Arequipa

$174 24.5% 45.3% $144

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Arequipa

$98 13.9% 51.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 41.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 54% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 42.9% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9% 48.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $347 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 56% higher in Mexico City, 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

17,062

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Arequipa 5,000 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 118% more than Arequipa, 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 $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,063 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 $49.00 in Mexico City and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Mexico City, 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 $709, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $1,548 in Mexico City. 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, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.