The 93-year-victim died after a wall of his house collapsed on him.
The shaking also triggered several landslides that blocked roads in the region.
The quake, which took place at 4:13 a.m. local time in Arequipa province, was centered near Chuquibamba, 450 miles (720 km) southeast of Lima, at a depth of 17 miles (28 km), Aramando Minaya, director of the Geophysics Institute, said.
He added that the earthquake was felt for 25 seconds in some parts of the province.
Last August, a 7.5-magnitude quake hit Peru's southern province of Ica, leaving approximately 600 people dead and more than 1,200 injured.
Last week, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the central Peruvian province of Oxapampa left 39 people injured and more than 100 homes destroyed.
