- CostAffordable≈26% under South America
- SafetyCaution1.4/5
- MobilityLimited2.1/5
- CultureGood3.3/5
- ClimateWarm8–34°
Top cities
- Lima10.8M residents
- Arequipa1.0M residents
- Trujillo991K residents
- Chiclayo642K residents
- Piura492K residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in Peru
Affordable for South America.
Its $974 median runs ~26% below South America's median major city ($1,322); Lima ($1,015) runs 1.2× Arequipa ($828).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in Peru
The one thing to watch: property crime.
Most hazards across Peru sit in a normal range — property crime is the one area that runs higher.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around Peru
Mobility in Peru needs more planning across its cities.
Across 3 cities, getting around stays within a narrow band — no single city is a real outlier.
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in Peru
Culture in Peru concentrates in its big cities — Lima leads, Arequipa is lighter.
The country average (3.3) is carried by a few cities: Lima reaches 3.5 while Arequipa sits at 1.3. Check the specific city, not the country.
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in Peru
Jorge Chávez International Airport is Peru's busiest gateway.
6 major airports handle about 36M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in Peru
Peru holds one of the world's strongest passports.
- Mobility
- #35125 destinations
- GDP reach
- #5958.5% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #42997 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in Peru
Warm summers, gentle winters.
Across its cities, summer highs top out near 34°C feels-like while the coldest spots dip to around 8°C; sun is plentiful, up to ~342 days a year in Pisco.
Feels-like °C — monthly range across cities
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in Peru
Peru suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Mountain Seeker leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Poor fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →