Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacna and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $433 a month against $696 in Arequipa, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$433

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tacna and in Arequipa

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

A single person spends $433 per month in Tacna vs $696 in Arequipa, rent included.

Tacna $433
Arequipa $696

A couple spends around $621 per month in Tacna vs $1,094 in Arequipa, rent included.

Tacna $621
Arequipa $1,094

A family of three spends $810 per month in Tacna vs $1,492 in Arequipa, rent included.

Tacna $810
Arequipa $1,492

Tacna is about 38% cheaper than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tacna and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Tacna 68% lower, Arequipa 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 PEN 9.78

$3.39 PEN 11.68

-16.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.47 PEN 49.81

$25.99 PEN 89.5

-44.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 PEN 17.00

$5.73 PEN 19.71

-13.79%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.77

$2.50 PEN 8.61

36.80%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$0.82 PEN 2.81

37.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 PEN 1.41

$0.38 PEN 1.32

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 PEN 9.74

$2.04 PEN 7.04

38.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 PEN 11.56

$2.90 PEN 9.99

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 PEN 4.00

$1.27 PEN 4.36

-8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.86

$1.51 PEN 5.19

-45.03%

Eggs

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$2.34 PEN 8.05

-24.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 PEN 14.94

$6.26 PEN 21.56

-30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 PEN 16.02

$4.40 PEN 15.15

5.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 PEN 29.62

$7.17 PEN 24.67

20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 PEN 5.90

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.85

$1.24 PEN 4.25

13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$1.14 PEN 3.91

-21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.43

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.56

$0.62 PEN 2.14

19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.30

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 PEN 1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PEN 2.40

$0.76 PEN 2.62

-7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 PEN 15.02

$5.14 PEN 17.69

-15.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 PEN 22.10

$4.95 PEN 17.04

29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.90

$2.66 PEN 9.16

-2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PEN 7.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 PEN 6.55

$1.97 PEN 6.77

-3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 PEN 43.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.45

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

$19.0K PEN 65.3K

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

$25.3K PEN 87.2K

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

$23.50 PEN 80.9

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

$18.59 PEN 64.0

$10.28 PEN 35.38

80.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.48 PEN 87.7

$22.79 PEN 78.5

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$24.35 PEN 83.8

19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 PEN 26.74

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$7.03 PEN 24.20

-63.30%

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

$57.3 PEN 197

$73.9 PEN 254

-22.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 PEN 23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.45 PEN 70.4

$47.91 PEN 165

-57.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$25.78 PEN 88.8

-20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 PEN 226

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.26 PEN 90.4

$58.3 PEN 201

-54.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 PEN 1,199

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 PEN 237

$231 PEN 796

-70.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,473

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 PEN 1,414

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 PEN 6,591

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 PEN 3,349

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$465 PEN 1,600

$605 PEN 2,083

-23.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Tacna: November 1, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$231 33.3%

Groceries & Markets

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$172 24.7%

Eating Out

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$95 13.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$89 12.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$38 5.5%

Getting Around

Tacna

–

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 30% higher in Arequipa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Tacna versus $26 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $172 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Tacna

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

Same time as Tacna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,972

17,062

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tacna Arequipa 230 km

From you

Tacna
Arequipa

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

Tacna vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arequipa costs about 61% more than Tacna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $649 per month in Tacna and $1,044 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Tacna and $26 in Arequipa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Arequipa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $433 in Tacna and $696 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arequipa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $433 in Tacna to $696 in Arequipa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Tacna. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arequipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.