Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peru and Argentina

For one person, living is cheaper in Peru: $878 a month against $1,355 in Argentina, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Peru
Argentina
🇵🇪 Peru
$878
/mo nomad
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,355
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Peru and in Argentina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Peru and in Argentina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $878 in Peru versus $1,355 in Argentina.

  • Peru $878
  • Argentina $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,380 in Peru versus $2,177 in Argentina.

  • Peru $1,380
  • Argentina $2,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Peru versus $2,999 in Argentina.

  • Peru $1,883
  • Argentina $2,999

Internal cost variation is higher in Peru: monthly costs span $20 to $1,108, compared to $891–$1,638 in Argentina. City choice carries more weight in Peru.

Living in Peru costs about 35% less than in Argentina on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.51 PEN 12.16
$14.43 ARS 22.1K
-75.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.65 PEN 95.8
$54.9 ARS 84.3K
-49.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.21 PEN 21.51
$13.09 ARS 20.1K
-52.56%
Cappuccino
$3.15 PEN 10.92
$3.43 ARS 5,266
-8.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 PEN 3.31
$2.17 ARS 3,334
-55.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 PEN 1.78
$1.58 ARS 2,420
-67.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.28 PEN 7.90
$3.61 ARS 5,539
-36.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 PEN 12.33
$4.04 ARS 6,202
-11.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 PEN 5.09
$1.37 ARS 2,107
7.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 PEN 7.97
$2.27 ARS 3,475
1.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 PEN 4.77
$1.82 ARS 2,790
-24.18%
Eggs
$2.63 PEN 9.12
$2.70 ARS 4,147
-2.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.28 PEN 28.71
$10.27 ARS 15.8K
-19.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.71 PEN 19.79
$8.33 ARS 12.8K
-31.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.04 PEN 31.34
$11.85 ARS 18.2K
-23.71%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 PEN 6.15
$2.41 ARS 3,703
-26.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 PEN 3.78
$2.20 ARS 3,380
-50.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 PEN 4.53
$1.46 ARS 2,241
-10.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.21 PEN 4.21
$2.45 ARS 3,760
-50.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 PEN 3.08
$1.16 ARS 1,783
-23.28%
Onion (1kg)
$0.86 PEN 2.97
$1.01 ARS 1,551
-14.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 PEN 2.67
$1.51 ARS 2,314
-49.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 PEN 2.92
$1.66 ARS 2,553
-49.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.63 PEN 19.50
$4.11 ARS 6,306
36.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 PEN 26.53
$5.12 ARS 7,849
49.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 PEN 6.91
$1.95 ARS 2,985
2.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 PEN 10.48
$2.97 ARS 4,556
1.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Peru
Argentina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.61 PEN 2.10
$0.99 ARS 1,517
-38.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 PEN 94.9
$31.15 ARS 47.8K
-12.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.34 PEN 8.10
$1.53 ARS 2,352
52.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 PEN 7.11
$1.01 ARS 1,551
102.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.01 PEN 24.30
$7.54 ARS 11.6K
-7.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.64 PEN 5.69
$1.23 ARS 1,881
33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K PEN 76.7K
$24.6K ARS 37.8M
-10.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K PEN 95.8K
$31.8K ARS 48.7M
-12.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.9 PEN 190
$137 ARS 210.1K
-59.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 PEN 46.33
$17.55 ARS 26.9K
-23.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.55 PEN 88.6
$26.05 ARS 40.0K
-1.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.24 PEN 108
$35.64 ARS 54.7K
-12.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.62 PEN 57.6
$18.56 ARS 28.5K
-10.45%
Cinema Ticket
$5.93 PEN 20.56
$9.83 ARS 15.1K
-39.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 PEN 719
$382 ARS 585.8K
-45.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K PEN 38.7K
$6,351 ARS 9.7M
75.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.87 PEN 173
$109 ARS 167.6K
-54.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.02 PEN 104
$84.1 ARS 129.1K
-64.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.2 PEN 250
$120 ARS 183.3K
-39.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 PEN 246
$120 ARS 184.6K
-40.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Peru
Argentina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$514 PEN 1,782
$534 ARS 818.8K
-3.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$279 PEN 967
$383 ARS 586.9K
-27.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$899 PEN 3,118
$1,045 ARS 1.6M
-13.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$536 PEN 1,856
$795 ARS 1.2M
-32.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,247 PEN 7,787
$2,209 ARS 3.4M
1.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,310 PEN 4,542
$1,463 ARS 2.2M
-10.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Peru
Argentina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$575 PEN 1,993
$786 ARS 1.2M
-26.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.66
58.21
-83.40%

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

Last update for Peru: October 27, 2026

Last update for Argentina: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Peru
$279
Argentina
$383 37.1% $103
Groceries & Markets
Peru
$210
Argentina
$263 25.5% $53
Eating Out
Peru
$109
Argentina
$237 118% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Peru
$100
Argentina
$195 94.2% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peru
$94
Argentina
$181 92.5% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Peru
$43
Argentina
$55 28.3% $12
Getting Around
Peru
$42
Argentina
$42 1.7% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $339 in Peru, $516 in Argentina. Capital cities: $734 in Lima vs $731 in Buenos Aires.

National salary averages: $522 in Peru, $795 in Argentina. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Argentina.

Dining out costs 96% more in Argentina.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Argentina.

Salaries are 52% higher in Argentina.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Peru
🇦🇷 Argentina
🕒 Local time
10:59 10:59 AM
12:59 12:59 PM
2 h ahead of Peru
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,726,000
47,327,407
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,534 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,713 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Peru Argentina 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Peru
  • Argentina

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
Peru vs Argentina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Argentina and Peru?
At $1,355 per month in Argentina and $878 in Peru, Peru comes out about 35% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Peru: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $516 in Argentina and $339 in Peru. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Argentina or in Peru?
In Peru, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Argentina it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Argentina or to Peru?
It depends on what you’re after: Peru wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Peru vs other spots: cost of living compared

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