Arequipa logs 0 frost days a year to Cusco's 11 — Arequipa wins by 11. Arequipa also leads on sunny days by 78.

Arequipa runs about $828/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Cusco's $974/mo — Arequipa comes in $146 cheaper each month, roughly 18% less.

On mobility, Cusco scores 1.6 vs Arequipa's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on airport accessibility. Arequipa still holds an edge on car efficiency.

Cusco's culture score of 3.3 sits well above Arequipa's 1.3, with the biggest gap on history museums.

Cusco's nature & outdoors score of 4.0 sits well above Arequipa's 3.3, with the biggest gap on forest access. Arequipa still holds an edge on green areas.

Arequipa and Cusco score neck-and-neck on safety (2.2 vs 2.1, 0–5 scale).

Arequipa's career score of 2.0 sits well above Cusco's 1.6, with the biggest gap on career opportunities. Cusco still holds an edge on coworking infrastructure.

Arequipa and Cusco score neck-and-neck on social & community (2.4 vs 2.4, 0–5 scale).

Arequipa and Cusco score neck-and-neck on food & dining (2.0 vs 2.0, 0–5 scale).

On family, Arequipa scores 1.5 vs Cusco's 1.3 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities. Cusco still holds an edge on yoga studios.

On healthcare, Cusco scores 2.0 vs Arequipa's 1.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public healthcare quality.

Arequipa averages 15.1 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Cusco's 16.7 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Arequipa breathes ~10% cleaner air (1.6 µg/m³ lower).

Who Thrives Here