Cost of Living Comparison Between Peru and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Peru and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $421 in Peru versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $666 in Peru versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $911 in Peru versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Peru costs about 41% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Peru 68% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 PEN 14.13

$2.77 ¥18.72

50.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.72 PEN 94.3

$24.05 ¥162

15.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 PEN 20.91

$4.73 ¥31.93

30.02%

Cappuccino

$2.55 PEN 8.69

$3.08 ¥20.78

-17.21%

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

$0.90 PEN 3.07

$0.44 ¥3.00

104.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 PEN 1.85

$0.29 ¥1.98

86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 PEN 7.68

$1.01 ¥6.80

123.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 PEN 13.50

$2.08 ¥14.03

90.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.53

$1.83 ¥12.39

-27.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 PEN 8.11

$1.62 ¥10.94

46.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.41

$0.97 ¥6.58

34.02%

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.83

$1.61 ¥10.90

61.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 PEN 24.41

$13.34 ¥90.1

-46.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 PEN 18.40

$3.37 ¥22.75

60.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 PEN 30.15

$10.68 ¥72.2

-16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 PEN 6.21

$1.81 ¥12.26

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.49

$1.25 ¥8.44

-17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.39

$1.46 ¥9.88

-31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.85

$1.15 ¥7.73

-1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$0.73 ¥4.92

23.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.02

$0.89 ¥5.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 PEN 2.43

$0.60 ¥4.05

18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$0.53 ¥3.59

52.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 PEN 19.40

$3.39 ¥22.93

68.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 PEN 26.07

$11.73 ¥79.3

-34.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 6.02

$0.77 ¥5.23

129.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PEN 9.40

$1.63 ¥10.98

69.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 PEN 1.83

$0.41 ¥2.77

31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.34 PEN 55.6

$21.24 ¥143

-23.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PEN 7.60

$1.35 ¥9.13

65.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PEN 6.29

$0.36 ¥2.40

413.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 PEN 19.22

$6.70 ¥45.26

-15.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.57

$1.18 ¥7.98

13.56%

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

$20.0K PEN 68.1K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

1.33%

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

$24.1K PEN 81.9K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

45.64%

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

$46.44 PEN 158

$51.7 ¥349

-10.24%

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

$12.01 PEN 40.85

$10.09 ¥68.2

19.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.23 PEN 85.8

$11.38 ¥76.9

121.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.13 PEN 102

$39.24 ¥265

-23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 PEN 56.6

$14.84 ¥100

12.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 PEN 18.62

$6.30 ¥42.56

-13.17%

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

$165 PEN 560

$414 ¥2,795

-60.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,607 PEN 19.1K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-67.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.04 PEN 160

$46.77 ¥316

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.60 PEN 104

$33.08 ¥223

-7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 PEN 281

$70.9 ¥479

16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 PEN 260

$74.5 ¥503

2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 PEN 1,606

$440 ¥2,972

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 PEN 904

$253 ¥1,707

5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 PEN 2,826

$911 ¥6,153

-8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 PEN 1,645

$531 ¥3,584

-8.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 PEN 7,280

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-55.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,208 PEN 4,108

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-49.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 PEN 1,993

$1,058 ¥7,144

-44.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.63

4.06

161.82%

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

Last update for Peru: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $141 in Peru, $287 in China. Capital cities: $621 in Lima vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $537 in Peru, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 104% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 60% higher in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $531 in Peru, there's a 64% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Peru: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Peru across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Peru, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Peru wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.