Punta del Este vs Arequipa

In summer the city lives on tourists: 1.3 million of them entered the country in December–February, and Punta del Este is the main destination. A two-bedroom apartment for half of January rents for 6,500 dollars.

SpecialistPuntanews: results of the 2025-2026 summer season according to the Ministry of Tourism · checked 29 Sep 2026

Maldonado is the fastest-growing department in the country, 212,951 residents in the 2023 census. It grows through the arrival of Uruguayans and foreigners.

OfficialINE: final results of the 2023 census, population by department · checked 29 Sep 2026

For living with children, realtors recommend Cantegril, Beverly Hills, Pinares and Mansa. Península, La Barra and Roosevelt are jammed with traffic in summer.

SpecialistLa Cite Realtors: international schools in Maldonado and where to live nearby · checked 29 Sep 2026

Maldonado department: average existing contract 23,083 pesos a month, new 25,177 - more than Montevideo (July 2026). INE does not calculate the city separately.

OfficialINE: average rent by department, existing contracts · checked 29 Sep 2026

A two-bedroom apartment for a year or for winter is asked at 700 to 3,500 dollars a month, median about 1,550. Plus gastos comunes separately, up to 1,000–1,400 dollars in towers.

SpecialistGallito: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Punta del Este, 80 listings on the page · checked 29 Sep 2026

A two-bedroom apartment in Punta del Este is on sale for 138–967k dollars, median about 270k for 75 m². These are asking prices, not transactions.

SpecialistGallito: two-bedroom apartments for sale in Punta del Este · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

The INE minimum food basket for the country excluding the capital is 5,421–5,621 pesos per person a month, for a family of four 21.7–22.5k. Data from 2025.

OfficialINE: income poverty estimate, first half of 2025, with poverty lines · checked 29 Sep 2026

A family of three renting housing outside the capital is considered poor at an income below 42,055 pesos a month. In Punta del Este the real bar is much higher.

OfficialINE: income poverty estimate, first half of 2025, with poverty lines · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

International schools Woodside, St Clare's and Garzón School. According to a realtor's estimate, 6–15k dollars a year per child, with higher grades costing more.

SpecialistLa Cite Realtors: international schools in Maldonado and where to live nearby · 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

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 ASSE state hospital and the Mautone sanatorium are in the neighbouring city of Maldonado. In Punta del Este itself, on Roosevelt, parada 13, is the head office of the private mutualista Asistencial.

OfficialASSE: Hospital Departamental de Maldonado Dr. Elbio Rivero Moreno · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

A Montevideo – Punta del Este ticket from COPSA costs 466 pesos, return 932. To Maldonado 450, with a student discount.

SpecialistCOPSA Línea Este: intercity bus fares from 7 January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Only Buenos Aires and São Paulo have regular flights all year round. Santiago, Asunción and Campinas are added only in summer. Data for the 2024–2025 season.

SpecialistAviacionline: Punta del Este adds flights for the 2024-2025 season · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

July is the coldest month: average minimum 8.7 degrees, maximum 14.4. Summer is mild: in January 18.1 and 25.2.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Punta del Este · checked 29 Sep 2026

About 1,010 mm a year, evenly distributed: from 67 mm in December to 94 mm in August, 8–10 rain days in any month.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Punta del Este · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

In 2025 there were 14 homicides in the Maldonado department, about 6.6 per 100 thousand residents. Nationwide, 10.3.

SpecialistMontevideo Portal: breakdown of 2025 homicides by department · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

Antel fibre from 1,650 pesos for 400 Mbit/s to 4,342 for a gigabit. For holiday-home owners there is Fibra Temporada for 865 pesos: unlimited data from December to March.

OfficialAntel: data plan price list, 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

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

The UTE tariff is uniform: 300 kWh comes to about 2,940 pesos, 600 kWh about 5,470. In apartments, gastos comunes come on top: from 13k pesos to 1,400 dollars.

OfficialDecree 339/025: UTE tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

OSE, Maldonado resort zone: 47.41 pesos per m³ up to 15 m³ plus a fixed charge of 636.68. For 15 m³ with sewage about 2,200 pesos a month, more than in Montevideo.

OfficialDecree 340/025: OSE water and sewerage tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

We did not find network gas in Punta del Este: the distributors Montevideo Gas and Conecta do not list Maldonado. Refilling a 13 kg cylinder costs about 1,216 pesos.

OfficialURSEA: network gas, tariffs of distribution companies · checked 29 Sep 2026

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