Should you visit Tokyo or Arequipa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Tokyo or Arequipa? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Tokyo or Arequipa?
Tokyo
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is by far the most populous city in the world with a staggering 37 million people. As a worldwide hub for technology and business, it hosts millions of visitors annually. But Tokyo is not just a place for business trips. With its incredible mixture of historical temples and shrines, remarkably beautiful parks, endless shopping malls, and genuinely wonderful people, Tokyo is a terrific place to visit and to explore.
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 2-Week Tours in Japan, The Best Bicycle Tours in Japan, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, and The Best Cultural Tours in Peru.
Which place is cheaper, Arequipa or Tokyo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Tokyo is $190, while the average daily cost in Arequipa is $60. 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 Tokyo and Arequipa in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Tokyo 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:
Tokyo Hotel Prices and
Arequipa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tokyo
Also for Tokyo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Transfer from Tokyo to Narita Airport:
$232
-
Airport Shuttle Arrival Transfer : from Haneda Airport to Tokyo City:
$65
-
Airport Transfer between Narita and Tokyo or Disney or Yokohama:
$231
-
Airport Transfer: Haneda Airport and Tokyo 23 wards:
$135
-
Center Tokyo Private One Way Transfer To Haneda Airport:
$116
-
DECKS Tokyo Beach & Odaiba 1 Way Door to Door Shared Transfer:
$56
-
Departure Private Transfer: Tokyo to Haneda Airport HND in Sedan:
$286
-
Departure Transfer from Tokyo City to Haneda Airport HND by van:
$176
-
Disabled-passenger transfer from Haneda Airport to Yokohama Port :
$216
-
Discount Rate, Airport Shuttle Van Transfer, Haneda ⇔ Narita :
$260
-
Discover Makaino Farm with Bus Transfer from Tokyo:
$71
-
Disneyland or Disneysea Transfer to or from Tokyo English Driver:
$20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride
$1.43
-
Bus Ride
$0.46
-
Taxi Ride
$1.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:
-
Colca Canyon 2-Day Tour with Lodge Stay and Transfer to Puno:
$283
-
2 Day Trek Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon:
$179
-
Koh lanta any hotel to Phuket airport Private transfer:
$172
-
Colca Canyon Sightseeing Tour 2D1N and Transfer to Puno:
$147
-
2-Day Colca Canyon Tour with optional transfer to Puno:
$132
-
Full Day Tour Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon:
$112
-
Colca Canyon + Transfer To Puno:
$103
-
Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer:
$81
-
Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno:
$65
-
Full Day Tour to Colca including Transfer to Puno:
$60
-
Private Transfer from Arequipa to Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (AQP) Airport :
$38
-
Transfer Between Arequipa's Airport and Hotels:
$35
Is it cheaper to fly into Tokyo or Arequipa?
Prices for flights to both Arequipa and Tokyo 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
-
Food
Meals for one day
Tokyo $67
Arequipa $25
Typical Food Prices in Tokyo
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tokyo:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tokyo
For Tokyo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Tsukiji Food Tour Explore Markets and Temples in Tokyo:
$18
-
Hide's Table A Unique Dinner Gathering Every Wednesday Night:
$21
-
Tokyo : Vintage, Music & Food Tour in Shimokitazawa with a Local:
$34
-
Guided Tsukiji’s Local Food Tour :
$34
-
For First Time Visitor:Tsukiji Food Tour with Tokyo Travel Advice:
$34
-
Authentic Homestyle Japanese Cooking Class near Tokyo with Risa:
$39
-
Tokyo Bay Yakatabune Dinner/Day Cruise with Japan Show and Drinks:
$44
-
Weekend Japanese Cooking Demonstration with a Tokyo Mom, Toshiko:
$49
-
Japanese Sushi Cooking Class:
$51
-
Tokyo private hidden food tour:
$55
-
Mastering the Grill A Ninja Yakiniku A5 Wagyu Dinner in Nippori :
$56
-
Tokyo Retro Backstreet Tokyo Tour Option to Add Dinner:
$56
Typical Food Prices in Arequipa
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:
-
Coke
$0.43
-
Lunch
$3.01
-
Ice Cream
$1.15
-
Fruit
$0.86
-
Ice Cream
$1.00
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:
$35
-
Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa:
$35
-
Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa:
$50
-
Peruvian Cooking Class:
$53
-
Private Cooking Class in Arequipa:
$57
-
Food Tour Gastronomic Guided :
$113
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Tokyo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tokyo.
-
Tokyo 4‑Day Self‑Guided PDF Tour of Senso‑ji, Shibuya and more:
$3.42
-
Imperial Palace or Edo Castle Time Trip Learning Walking Tour:
$3.42
-
Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Guided Tour:
$3.46
-
Self-Guided Tour of Tokyo's Hidden Alleys:
$3.57
-
Cross Roppongi Karaoke Nightclub Ticket (For Foreign):
$6.76
-
Tokyo Asakusa & Senso-ji Tour with Audioguide:
$8.34
-
Tokyo Metro Subway Ticket:
$8.85
-
Horse Racing Tour with Local Fans in Tokyo:
$10
-
Shibuya drinking tour:
$10
-
Gyoda Oshi Castle Ninja Experience :
$11
-
Tokyo Subway Ticket :
$11
-
Water Bus Ticket Odaiba ↔ Asakusa:
$12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa
Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Monastery Entry
$2.87
-
Salsa Class
$2.87
-
Movie Ticket
$3.13
-
Hot Springs
$2.87
Tours and Activities in Arequipa
Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Colca Full Day Tour:
$51
-
Walking tour history, legends & mysteries :
$28
-
2 Day - Colca Canyon and Condor Tour from Arequipa, Peru - Group Service :
$295
-
2 Days of Natural Experience in the Colca Canyon:
$140
-
2 days 1 night Colca Canyon tour from Arequipa:
$110
-
2-Day Group Tour to Colca Canyon from Arequipa:
$230
-
2-Day Hiking Tour to the Colca Canyon:
$90
-
2-Day Tour to the Magical Colca Canyon:
$68
-
2-Day tour Colca Canyon ending in Puno:
$95
-
3 Hour Congata Rover Biking Ride Tour in Arequipa:
$45
-
3-hour guided tour in Arequipa:
$65
-
8-Hours Tour in Arequipa Laguna de Salinas with Pick-up:
$20
Alcohol
Typical Alcohol Prices in Tokyo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Tokyo:
Sample the Local Flavors in Tokyo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tokyo:
-
Low-cost local pub & bar crawling:
$34
-
Tokyo Pub Crawl: Unique Japanese Drinks in Shimokitazawa:
$34
-
3 Hours Pub Crawl Welcome Guided Tour in Shibuya:
$35
-
Tokyo Pub Crawl: Unique Japanese Drinks in Shimokitazawa:
$38
-
3-Hour Tokyo Pub Crawl Weekly Welcome Guided Tour in Shibuya:
$46
-
Private Shinjuku Nightlife Walking Tour & Golden-Gai Bar Crawl:
$114
-
Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and jump into historic town:
$116
-
Private Sake Tasting at 300 Years Old Sake Brewery in Tokyo :
$132
-
Sake Brewery and Spiritual Nature Tour in Okutama Tokyo:
$142
-
Cultural Sake Brewery Private Tour & Unlimited Tasting Near Tokyo:
$172
-
From Tokyo:Mt.fuji /Museum/Sake brewery/ 1DAY BUS TOUR:
$201
-
Private tour: Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and riverside walk.:
$242
Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tokyo and Arequipa, we can see that Tokyo is more expensive. And not only is Arequipa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tokyo is in Asia 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 Tokyo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tokyo 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 Tokyo Expensive? and Is Arequipa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tokyo or Arequipa?
Tokyo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Arequipa. When comparing the sizes of Tokyo 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.
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