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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Miraflores vs $649 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in Miraflores vs $1,065 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,312 per month in Miraflores vs $1,482 in Arequipa, rent included.

Miraflores costs about 63% more than Arequipa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Miraflores and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Miraflores 21% lower, Arequipa 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 PEN 13.90

$4.13 PEN 14.06

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.86 PEN 115

$28.09 PEN 95.6

20.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 PEN 16.96

$5.64 PEN 19.19

-11.52%

Cappuccino

$2.53 PEN 8.59

$2.54 PEN 8.63

-0.39%

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

$0.91 PEN 3.09

$0.82 PEN 2.78

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 PEN 2.05

$0.37 PEN 1.25

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PEN 7.47

$2.16 PEN 7.33

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PEN 12.92

$5.85 PEN 19.91

-35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 PEN 4.13

$1.61 PEN 5.49

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 PEN 3.88

$1.28 PEN 4.35

-10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 PEN 4.47

$1.23 PEN 4.19

6.50%

Eggs

$2.82 PEN 9.59

$2.15 PEN 7.30

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 PEN 27.53

$5.52 PEN 18.76

46.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 PEN 19.64

$5.17 PEN 17.60

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 PEN 29.04

$7.76 PEN 26.40

10.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 6.99

$1.49 PEN 5.07

37.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.83

$1.17 PEN 3.98

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.73

$1.19 PEN 4.04

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$0.77 PEN 2.61

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.50

$0.55 PEN 1.86

87.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.76

$0.54 PEN 1.84

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 PEN 2.79

$0.45 PEN 1.51

82.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 PEN 1.97

$0.72 PEN 2.44

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 PEN 18.36

$4.87 PEN 16.57

10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 PEN 30.13

$5.04 PEN 17.13

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PEN 5.85

$2.46 PEN 8.39

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 PEN 9.18

$2.31 PEN 7.87

16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.91

$0.29 PEN 0.99

-6.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 PEN 11.19

$2.06 PEN 7.02

59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.52

$2.06 PEN 7.01

7.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 PEN 28.29

$12.77 PEN 43.46

-34.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.21

$1.54 PEN 5.25

-19.48%

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

$19.1K PEN 64.9K

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

2.64%

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

$24.1K PEN 82.1K

$25.5K PEN 86.7K

-5.26%

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

$55.0 PEN 187

$39.14 PEN 133

40.52%

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

$8.32 PEN 28.30

$10.57 PEN 35.96

-21.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.61 PEN 80.3

$31.04 PEN 106

-23.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.86 PEN 112

$21.22 PEN 72.2

54.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.38

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 PEN 23.08

$4.49 PEN 15.27

51.00%

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

$215 PEN 732

$60.0 PEN 204

258.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 PEN 27.4K

$6,277 PEN 21.4K

28.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 PEN 173

$37.00 PEN 126

37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 PEN 121

$22.10 PEN 75.2

60.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 PEN 312

$62.8 PEN 214

46.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 PEN 284

$56.3 PEN 191

48.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 PEN 2,303

$240 PEN 817

181.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 PEN 1,699

$158 PEN 538

215.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 PEN 5,436

$540 PEN 1,838

195.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,315

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,543 PEN 8,653

$1,956 PEN 6,654

30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,379

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,211

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Miraflores versus $240 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 $34.00 in Miraflores versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 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 63% 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 $1,587 per month in Miraflores and $974 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 $34.00 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 12% 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 $649, than in Miraflores at $1,058. 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 $649 versus $1,058 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.