Cost of Living Comparison Between Miraflores and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Miraflores and Arequipa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,044 per month in Miraflores vs $652 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,161 per month in Miraflores vs $1,071 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,279 per month in Miraflores vs $1,490 in Arequipa, rent included.

Miraflores costs about 60% more than Arequipa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Miraflores and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Miraflores 22% lower, Arequipa 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.19 PEN 14.23

$4.07 PEN 13.80

2.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.90 PEN 112

$27.88 PEN 94.6

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 PEN 17.03

$5.47 PEN 18.54

-8.23%

Cappuccino

$2.53 PEN 8.57

$2.58 PEN 8.74

-1.94%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.13

$0.82 PEN 2.77

12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.19

$0.37 PEN 1.25

75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.61

$2.24 PEN 7.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 PEN 12.80

$6.11 PEN 20.72

-38.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.34

$1.55 PEN 5.26

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 PEN 3.84

$1.27 PEN 4.30

-11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.56

$1.29 PEN 4.36

4.65%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 9.95

$2.07 PEN 7.01

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 PEN 27.74

$5.57 PEN 18.89

46.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 PEN 19.45

$5.27 PEN 17.89

8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 PEN 30.29

$7.58 PEN 25.71

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 PEN 7.00

$1.46 PEN 4.97

41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.18 PEN 4.00

-8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 PEN 3.91

$1.22 PEN 4.14

-5.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.71

$0.78 PEN 2.63

39.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.52

$0.59 PEN 2.02

76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.85

$0.58 PEN 1.98

44.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 PEN 2.71

$0.45 PEN 1.52

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.72 PEN 2.44

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 PEN 18.79

$5.05 PEN 17.12

9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 PEN 29.13

$5.21 PEN 17.67

64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 PEN 5.70

$2.48 PEN 8.40

-32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 PEN 9.52

$2.20 PEN 7.47

27.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.27 PEN 0.91

7.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 PEN 11.58

$2.09 PEN 7.08

63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.52

$2.04 PEN 6.92

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 PEN 27.56

$12.92 PEN 43.84

-37.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 PEN 4.18

$1.62 PEN 5.49

-24.07%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$18.7K PEN 63.5K

3.52%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

$25.4K PEN 86.0K

-2.23%

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

$54.9 PEN 186

$39.23 PEN 133

40.02%

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

$8.10 PEN 27.48

$10.33 PEN 35.03

-21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.46 PEN 79.6

$30.48 PEN 103

-23.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.98 PEN 112

$21.96 PEN 74.5

50.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 PEN 27.73

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 PEN 24.22

$4.46 PEN 15.12

60.09%

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

$220 PEN 746

$59.9 PEN 203

267.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 PEN 26.7K

$6,380 PEN 21.6K

23.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 PEN 170

$37.74 PEN 128

32.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.04 PEN 122

$22.29 PEN 75.6

61.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 PEN 308

$63.2 PEN 214

43.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 PEN 279

$56.5 PEN 192

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 PEN 2,259

$244 PEN 827

173.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 PEN 1,706

$157 PEN 533

219.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 PEN 5,427

$546 PEN 1,853

192.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 PEN 1,324

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 PEN 8,524

$2,023 PEN 6,863

24.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 PEN 3,373

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 PEN 2,201

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

-32.60%

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

Last update for Miraflores: July 13, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Miraflores versus $244 in Arequipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Miraflores versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $171 – 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

Miraflores vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miraflores costs about 60% more than Arequipa, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,565 per month in Miraflores and $977 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 $33.00 in Miraflores 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 14% more in Miraflores, 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 $652, than in Miraflores at $1,044. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Miraflores it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $652 versus $1,044 in Miraflores. 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, Miraflores makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.