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: $422 in Peru versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $670 in Peru versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $917 in Peru versus $1,551 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Peru 69% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.28 PEN 14.56

$2.86 ¥19.36

49.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.37 PEN 93.1

$23.29 ¥158

17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 PEN 21.11

$4.83 ¥32.66

28.57%

Cappuccino

$2.61 PEN 8.87

$3.04 ¥20.52

-14.14%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.83

$0.45 ¥3.03

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 PEN 1.85

$0.27 ¥1.81

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PEN 7.49

$0.99 ¥6.71

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.06

$2.03 ¥13.74

89.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.54

$1.75 ¥11.86

-23.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 PEN 8.23

$1.67 ¥11.31

44.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PEN 4.35

$0.97 ¥6.56

31.96%

Eggs

$2.58 PEN 8.78

$1.54 ¥10.45

67.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 PEN 24.28

$13.30 ¥89.9

-46.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 PEN 18.16

$3.21 ¥21.69

66.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 PEN 31.32

$10.79 ¥73.0

-14.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 PEN 5.88

$1.81 ¥12.27

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.46

$1.31 ¥8.84

-22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.53

$1.50 ¥10.15

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.72

$1.14 ¥7.74

-4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.02

$0.73 ¥4.90

21.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.87 ¥5.86

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.57 ¥3.85

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.55

$0.54 ¥3.63

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 PEN 18.42

$3.53 ¥23.88

53.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 PEN 26.09

$11.71 ¥79.2

-34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 PEN 6.23

$0.84 ¥5.67

117.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 PEN 9.21

$1.67 ¥11.29

62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$0.41 ¥2.75

31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 PEN 57.4

$20.78 ¥141

-18.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 PEN 7.74

$1.36 ¥9.21

67.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 PEN 6.60

$0.33 ¥2.21

487.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PEN 18.48

$6.86 ¥46.40

-20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.53

$1.12 ¥7.57

18.75%

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

$19.9K PEN 67.8K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

3.95%

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

$24.4K PEN 82.9K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

44.19%

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

$48.24 PEN 164

$51.8 ¥350

-6.89%

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

$12.02 PEN 40.86

$9.85 ¥66.6

22.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.99 PEN 88.3

$11.13 ¥75.3

133.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.68 PEN 104

$39.10 ¥264

-21.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 PEN 57.1

$14.89 ¥101

12.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 PEN 18.83

$6.25 ¥42.24

-11.36%

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

$168 PEN 571

$404 ¥2,732

-58.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,582 PEN 19.0K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-68.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 PEN 162

$46.11 ¥312

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.55 PEN 107

$32.27 ¥218

-2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 PEN 277

$72.7 ¥491

12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 PEN 262

$72.9 ¥493

5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 PEN 1,645

$445 ¥3,009

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 PEN 904

$255 ¥1,727

4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 PEN 2,833

$927 ¥6,266

-10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 PEN 1,629

$532 ¥3,600

-9.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,182 PEN 7,416

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-55.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 PEN 4,116

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-51.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$576 PEN 1,960

$1,057 ¥7,148

-45.47%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $142 in Peru, $286 in China. Capital cities: $624 in Lima vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $525 in Peru, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 101% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 64% 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 $871 per month in China and $540 in Peru, there's a 61% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Peru is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.