Cheapest places to live in part 4:peru

Peru

Peru is one of the least expensive countries to live in South America. You can buy cheese for less than $3 per pound, budget $15 per month for entertainment and pay much less money for prescription medicines than the U.S.

“Rent in Peru is quite cheap compared to similar spots in the U.S. In Arequipa, a city of almost 1 million, we only paid $700 a month for our new the-bedroom, four-bathroom furnished condo in the center of the city,” explains International LivingPeru Correspondent, Steven Le Poidevin. “It was ideally located only five minutes from the Plaza de Armas and within walking distance of any day-to-day things we had to do. A similar unfurnished unit would have cost half as much.

“But here in Huanchaco, we pay $600 a month for our furnished three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. Only five minutes from the beach and the local market, it is an ideal location. Trujillo, a city of almost 1 million, is nearby. A 20-minute bus ride gets us to the nearest mall with a good mixture of local and big brand shops, a cinema, international restaurants, and an excellent private medical clinic. A thorough medical check-up, complete with EKG and blood tests, will set you back $85. A consultation with a specialist is $12.

“Shopping at the local market in Huanchaco certainly saves us on food money. We load up on enough fruit and veggies for a few days for about $6. We buy local cheeses at another nearby shop for less than $3 a pound.”

Modern supermarkets stocked with local and international items can be found in every city. There are few familiar foods that you will not be able to get here, but shopping at the colorful local markets will make a much smaller dent in your bank account.

“My food is about 50-75% less than in the U.S.,” says Karl Muse, an American expat living in Lima. “I eat much healthier here than I did in the U.S. too. My cholesterol has dropped from over 200 to under 180. My wife is more health conscious about eating well. We do splurge but I eat much better for less money. We pay much less money for fruits and veggies. We pay much less money for prescription medicines too.”

Although many services and amenities are similar in price throughout the country, real estate costs vary substantially from one city to the next.

American expat Jo Self lives in Lima. “We pay about $380 a month for food for 3 adults and a child,” explains Jo. “That is our basic food budget. Entertainment is another $15 or $20 going out to the movies. Maybe $25 a week on taxis. Cell phone is $20 a month for 400 minutes, international calling, and 2GB of data.

“A newer high-rise two-bedroom furnished apartment in Lima would be $1,000 $1,200 a month. Smaller, local, older unfurnished apartments are anywhere from $500 to $800. They don’t do studios, they don’t do lofts. If you find an apartment at least 10 years old, you get more space for your money.”