Which place is cheaper, Arequipa or Interlaken?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Interlaken or Arequipa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Interlaken and Arequipa can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Interlaken or Arequipa?
Interlaken
Interlaken is a small city that is located in the Bernese Highlands Region of central Switzerland. It sits pleasantly between two Alpine Lakes, Brienzersee and Thunersee. This scenic setting and its easy accessibility make it a popular base camp for travel into the Bernese Oberland Alps. It has become a top tourist destination in Switzerland and it is also a hub for outdoor sports enthusiasts with plenty of hiking, skiing, paragliding, and other activities in the region.. Interlaken is a great hoping off point to explore many of the nearby mountains, lakes, and valleys, too. It offers easy transportation to most major Swiss cities by train or car.
Arequipa
Sitting in the middle of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes of Peru is the enchanting city of Arequipa. With 468 years of history, the city is full of Spanish colonial architecture. Known to locals as the "white city," the city center, Plaza de Armas, is quite the sight with buildings of sillar white stone made from the rocks of the surrounding volcanoes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Geneva, The Best 10-Day Tours from Zurich, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, and The Best Cultural Tours in Peru.
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Interlaken Prices
Switzerland PricesArequipa Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayInterlaken $307Arequipa $61
The average daily cost (per person) in Interlaken is $307, while the average daily cost in Arequipa is $61. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Interlaken and Arequipa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personInterlaken $147Arequipa $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomInterlaken $294Arequipa $50
Compare Hotels in Interlaken and Arequipa
Looking for a hotel in Interlaken or Arequipa? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Interlaken Hotel Prices and Arequipa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Interlaken $14Arequipa $6.42
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Interlaken
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Interlaken are as follows:
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Cable Cars (for 2)$72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Interlaken
Also for Interlaken, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Day Hike to Augstmatthorn with Transfer from Interlaken: $262
- From Private One-Way Transfer to Lucerne: $325
- Private Group transfer Interlaken - Zurich Airport: $892
- Private Transfer from interlaken City to Lucerne City: $160
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$1.45
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Bus Ride$0.46
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Taxi Ride$1.01
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:
- transfer Airport - Hotel: $21
- Private Transfer from Arequipa Airport to hotels: $30
- Private Transfer from Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón Airport to Hotel: $20
- Private Transfer From Arequipa To Puno With a 2 Hour Stop: $253
- Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer: $78
- Colca Canyon full day tour with transfer to Puno: $80
- Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno: $65
- Colca Canyon 2 days from Arequipa with final transfer to Puno: $85
- Colca Canyon + Transfer To Puno: $103
- Arequipa Airport Private Transfer: $38
- Arequipa Airport Departure Transfer: $19
- Arequipa Airport Arrival Transfer: $13
Is it cheaper to fly into Interlaken or Arequipa?
Prices for flights to both Arequipa and Interlaken change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayInterlaken $122Arequipa $25
Typical Food Prices in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Tea at Interlaken$36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- From Night Sledding with Cheese Fondue Dinner: $161
- Night Sledding & Fondue Dinner with Guide: $186
- Cheese and Chocolate Full-Day Food Tour: $836
Typical Food Prices in Arequipa
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:
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Coke$0.43
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Lunch$3.04
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Ice Cream$1.16
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Fruit$0.87
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Ice Cream$1.01
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arequipa
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Arequipa.
- Cooking Class at La Plantation: $36
- Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa: $43
- Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa: $50
- Arequipa Nights Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class: $63
- Arequipa Food Tour: Ancestral Cuisine & City Tour: $70
- Arequipa Food Tour Experience: $115
- Food Tour Gastronomic Guided: $119
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Interlaken $115Arequipa $19
Tours and Activities in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Mountains, Monks & Monarchs: A Self-Guided Interlaken Tour: $12
- Interlaken Harder Kulm Round Trip Funicular Ticket: $39
- Experience Switzerland in the Ballenberg open-air museum: $40
- Admission ticket for the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum: $40
- Forest Wildlife Park Hiking Tour from Hofstetten: $45
- Funicular Ticket to Harder Kulm: $47
- Rope Park Climbing Adventure with Entry Ticket: $56
- Historic Schynige Platte Cogwheel Train Ticket from Interlaken: $64
- Lenk High-altitude circuit Gryden with mountain railway ticket Betelberg: $72
- Adelboden Vogellisi Adventure Trail Family hike: $72
- Schilthorn - Piz Gloria Ticket: $73
- Interlaken Golden Hour Social Bike Tour: $98
Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa
Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Monastery Entry$2.89
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Salsa Class$2.89
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Movie Ticket$3.15
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Hot Springs$2.89
Tours and Activities in Arequipa
Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Day - Colca Canyon and Condor Tour from Arequipa, Peru - Group Service: $288
- 2 Days Climbing Volcano Chachani Tour, Conquer Your First 6,070m: $200
- 2 Days of Natural Experience in the Colca Canyon: $150
- 2 days 1 night Colca Canyon tour ending in Puno: $145
- 2-Day Hiking Tour to the Colca Canyon: $120
- 2-Day Tour to the Magical Colca Canyon: $68
- 3 Hour Congata Rover Biking Ride Tour in Arequipa: $50
- 3-day Colca Canyon Trek Tour Adventure: $90
- 8-Hours Tour in Arequipa Laguna de Salinas with Pick-up: $30
- Afternoon : Arequipa Walking tour: $55
- All inclusive Full day tour Colca Canyon: all Meals & Entrances: $94
- Arequipa 2 day tour to Colca Canyon and Cruz del Cóndor: $44
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayInterlaken $19Arequipa $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:
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Beer$2.60
Sample the Local Flavors in Arequipa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Arequipa:
- Arequipa Pub Crawl - Bar & Nightclub Tour: $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Interlaken and Arequipa, we can see that Interlaken is more expensive. And not only is Arequipa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Interlaken is in Europe and Arequipa is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Arequipa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arequipa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Interlaken would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Interlaken than you might in Arequipa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Interlaken Expensive? and Is Arequipa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Interlaken or Arequipa?
Arequipa has a larger population, and is about 170 times larger than the population of Interlaken. When comparing the sizes of Interlaken and Arequipa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.