Arequipa vs Colonia del Sacramento
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Colonia del Sacramento cheaper — −25%
Internet
✓in Arequipa cheaper — −65%
Ready-made house
✓in Colonia del Sacramento cheaper — −22%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per monthArequipa≈ $585–1,290S/ 2,000–4,420✓Colonia del Sacramento≈ $619–793UYU 25–32kcheaper by 25%Internet
per month✓Arequipa≈ $26S/ 89.9cheaper by 65%Colonia del Sacramento≈ $41–108UYU 1,650–4,342Winter
averageArequipa6–21 °C6–21 °CColonia del Sacramento11 °C11 °CPrecipitation
per yearArequipa94.6 mm94.6 mmColonia del Sacramento1,144.5 mm1,144.5 mmReady-made house
purchaseArequipa$157–490k$157–490k✓Colonia del Sacramento$155–350k$155–350kcheaper by 22%
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Arequipa
Nothing yet
Colonia del Sacramento
The 2023 census counted 135,797 people in the department of Colonia, about 4% of Uruguay's population. The source gives no separate figure for the city.
OfficialINE: final results of the 2023 census, population by department · checked 6 Oct 2026
Housing
Arequipa
A three-bedroom apartment in Yanahuara or Cayma is 2000–4400 soles a month, most often 2500–3000 (about 700–900 dollars). Building maintenance fees on top.
SpecialistUrbania: apartments for rent in Yanahuara · checked 29 Sep 2026
A three-bedroom apartment in Cayma by listings: 157–490k dollars, median about 225k. Sellers quote prices in dollars.
SpecialistUrbania: apartments for sale in Cayma · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
A two-bedroom house or apartment in listings costs 25–32 thousand pesos a month, median 27 thousand (about 670 dollars). Furnished or by the rambla: in dollars.
SpecialistInfoCasas: houses and apartments for rent in Colonia del Sacramento, all six pages of results (about 120 listings) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A three-bedroom house in listings costs 155–350 thousand dollars, median 230 thousand. Two bedrooms: 100–160 thousand, median 135 thousand.
SpecialistInfoCasas: houses for sale in Colonia del Sacramento, first four pages of results (85 houses out of more than 400 listings) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Arequipa
The average resident of the region spends 876 soles a month, which for a family of four is about 3500. Rent alone for a three-bedroom apartment in Cayma is 2500–3000.
OfficialINEI: Arequipa, statistical compendium 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
A rough guide is about 830 soles a month for a family of four: food accounts for 23.7% of the urban price basket, and average spending per person is 876 soles.
OfficialINEI: Arequipa, statistical compendium 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
Nothing yet
Family and kids
Arequipa
Almost every second pupil in Arequipa attends a private school: 47% across the two city education authorities, 54% in the northern one (2024 census).
OfficialINEI: Arequipa, statistical compendium 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
The most expensive schools in the city charged 750–1775 soles a month in 2024. In 80% of private schools the fee is below 400 soles a month.
SpecialistEncuentro: 80% of private schools in Arequipa charge under 400 soles, table of monthly fees 2023-2024 from Identicole · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Arequipa
The city is at 2335 m, just below the CDC altitude sickness threshold (2450 m). For children the CDC sees no particular risk, and it advises caution with infants under 6 weeks.
OfficialCDC Yellow Book: high-altitude travel and altitude sickness · checked 29 Sep 2026
The level III public hospital Honorio Delgado: paediatrics, neonatology, intensive care, neurosurgery, oncology. The social insurer EsSalud has 29 facilities in the region.
OfficialHospital Regional III Honorio Delgado: website and list of services · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
The local FONASA health provider is ORAMECO (Alberto Méndez 170). The department also has CAMEC in Rosario and CAMOC in Carmelo. The BPS list is old, from 2018.
OfficialBPS: list of FONASA providers with the full range of services · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Arequipa
The airport is 8 km from the centre and is open between 5 and 22 hours. The departures board on 29 September 2026 showed 22 departures: 20 to Lima and 2 to Cusco, with no international ones.
SpecialistAeropuertos Andinos del Perú: Arequipa airport and departures board · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
To Buenos Aires by Colonia Express ferry in 1 h 15 min, five sailings a day each way. From Montevideo a bus with a transfer to the ferry takes 3 h 30 min.
SpecialistColonia Express: Colonia – Buenos Aires ferry timetable, September–October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Arequipa
In winter it is about 5.5 degrees at night and 21–22 during the day. Daytime temperature is almost the same all year round, with a day-night difference of 13–16 degrees.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Arequipa · checked 29 Sep 2026
About 95 mm a year, and almost all of it in January–March. From April to November, 0 to 2 mm a month falls.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Arequipa · checked 29 Sep 2026
Even in July, SENAMHI forecast an ultraviolet index of 8–12 for Arequipa, from “very high” to “extreme”. The weather service advises staying out of the sun from 9 to 16.
SpecialistInfobae: SENAMHI warns of extreme ultraviolet in the southern sierra, 4-6 July 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
The 1991–2020 July normal is 11.0 °C: about 15 by day, about 7 at night. Frosts are rare; the absolute minimum over 30 years was minus 2.6 °C.
OfficialINUMET: 1991–2020 climate normals, Colonia station · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 1,145 mm a year with no dry season: from 69 mm in June and August to 126 mm in March. About 75 days a year with at least 1 mm of rain.
OfficialINUMET: 1991–2020 climate normals, Colonia station · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Arequipa
IGP calls Misti the most dangerous volcano in Peru: more than a million people live on its slopes and around it. The last eruption was in the fifteenth century.
OfficialIGP: volcanic Arequipa, 5 facts about active volcanoes · checked 29 Sep 2026
The 2001 earthquake of magnitude 8.2 caused shaking of intensity VIII on the Mercalli scale in Arequipa. According to IGP, about 30% of the energy off the southern coast has still not been released.
OfficialIGP: memories of the earthquake that will happen again (Arequipa, 2001) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
In 2025 Uruguay had 369 homicides, 10.3 per 100 thousand. Colonia is not among the four departments with the most, where fourth place is 13 cases.
SpecialistMontevideo Portal: preliminary Interior Ministry data on homicides in 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Arequipa
Movistar sells home fibre at 400 Mbit/s for 89.90 soles a month, 79.90 for the first two months. Arequipa is on Movistar's list of fibre zones.
SpecialistMovistar Perú: “Solo internet” plans · checked 29 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
Antel fibre: 400/30 Mbit/s for 1,650 pesos a month, 1 Gbit/s for 4,342 pesos, taxes included. The price list is the same nationwide.
OfficialAntel: data tariff price list, 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Arequipa
For consumption above 140 kWh, electricity costs 0.66 soles per kWh plus 3.60 soles a month, without IGV tax. 200 kWh is about 136 soles before tax.
OfficialSEAL: tariff schedule No. 003-2026 for end users, from 4 February 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Water and sewerage: the first 10 m³ at 1.65 soles, then 2.96 and 6.00. A bill for 15 m³ is about 41 soles with tax; this is a calculation based on the SEDAPAR tariff.
OfficialSunass: resolution 00146-2025-SUNASS-CD, SEDAPAR tariff structure for year 5 of the 2021-2026 period · checked 30 Sep 2026
There is no piped gas concessionaire in Arequipa; the network is being built under the state Bonogas programme in five districts. The rest cook on cylinders, and we did not find their price.
OfficialMINEM: first stage of gas network construction in Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna (Sur Oeste concession) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Colonia del Sacramento
UTE's tariff is the same nationwide: 6.744–8.452 pesos per kWh. 300 kWh with 3 kW of power is about 2,940 pesos a month (73 dollars); the decree is silent on taxes.
OfficialDecree 339/025: UTE tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
OSE outside the resort zone: for 15 m³ a month, water is about 1,065 pesos, with sewerage about 1,940 pesos (48 dollars). Tariff from 1 January 2026.
OfficialDecree 340/025: OSE water and sewerage tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Colonia has a Conecta natural gas network: 46.6 pesos per m³ plus 380 a month, before taxes. 30 m³ is about 1,780 pesos, 100 m³ in winter about 5,040.
OfficialConecta: maximum natural gas tariffs in the department of Colonia from 1 August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

