Cusco at a glance
- Cusco is the cheapest of Peru's 3 priced cities: $456 a month in essentials, 35% below Lima at $705.
- The average net salary of $431 covers that 0.9×.
- 98.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at country level.
- PM2.5 averages 6.4 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Peru cities we track, so every row says whether Cusco is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $456 | $490 | $34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $176 | $239 | 1.36× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $147 | $358 | 2.44× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $105 | $105 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $90 | $99 | $9 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $73 | $73 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $12 | $12 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $431 | $634 | 1.47× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $264 | $423 | 1.60× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $353 | $731 | 2.07× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Cusco, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.50 | $3.67 | 1.47× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $34.95 | $34.95 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.88 | $5.88 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.15 | $2.50 | $0.35 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.35 | $2.35 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.41 | $4.41 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.76 | $0.83 | $0.07 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.34 | $0.39 | $0.05 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.30 | $1.32 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.29 | $2.29 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.32 | $1.36 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.64 | $2.97 | $0.67 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $4.85 | $6.37 | 1.31× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.41 | $4.55 | $0.14 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.64 | $1.96 | 1.35× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.81 | $1.04 | 1.28× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.88 | $1.03 | $0.15 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.03 | $0.91 | $0.12 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.10 | $0.86 | 1.28× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.73 | $0.78 | $0.05 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.29 | $0.29 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi start | $1.76 | $2.06 | $0.30 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.91 | $2.06 | $0.15 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.55 | $1.55 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $29.38 | $29.38 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $44.07 | $25.26 | 1.74× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.69 | $14.69 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $35.25 | $32.61 | $2.64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.41 | $6.61 | 1.50× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Cusco has 98.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (country level). That is the lowest of the 3 Peru cities we track. Peru's national figure is 98.3 — about even.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Cusco ranks against every city we track
Cusco sits ahead of 97% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 88% of 542. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 16% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Cusco sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: karlnorling, CC BY 2.0.
