Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayacucho and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $690 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
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Ayacucho Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index

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Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ayacucho and in Cusco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ayacucho and in Cusco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $474 in Ayacucho versus $690 in Cusco.

Ayacucho $474
Cusco $690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Ayacucho versus $1,105 in Cusco.

Ayacucho $766
Cusco $1,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,058 in Ayacucho versus $1,519 in Cusco.

Ayacucho $1,058
Cusco $1,519

Living in Ayacucho costs roughly 31% less than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ayacucho 65% lower, Cusco 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$2.01 PEN 6.94

-15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.14 PEN 69.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 PEN 21.98

Cappuccino

$1.78 PEN 6.12

$2.17 PEN 7.47

-17.97%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.74 PEN 2.54

22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$0.33 PEN 1.12

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PEN 5.08

$1.79 PEN 6.17

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 PEN 15.09

$4.29 PEN 14.79

2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 PEN 4.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 PEN 8.02

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$1.28 PEN 4.40

-56.25%

Eggs

$1.79 PEN 6.17

$3.51 PEN 12.10

-49.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.95 PEN 10.18

$4.91 PEN 16.92

-39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 PEN 14.73

$4.39 PEN 15.12

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.66 PEN 19.50

$7.41 PEN 25.55

-23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.08

$2.67 PEN 9.22

-55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$0.77 PEN 2.65

-25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PEN 2.09

$1.47 PEN 5.06

-59.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$0.91 PEN 3.12

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

$1.00 PEN 3.44

-70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.06 PEN 3.65

-71.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.53 PEN 1.83

-47.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$0.74 PEN 2.55

18.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 PEN 20.32

$5.68 PEN 19.57

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 PEN 10.27

$1.86 PEN 6.43

60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 15.16

$4.17 PEN 14.37

5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$0.28 PEN 0.95

117.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.47 PEN 122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 PEN 7.80

$1.76 PEN 6.05

28.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 PEN 3.95

$1.92 PEN 6.61

-40.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 PEN 14.85

$2.88 PEN 9.91

49.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.88

$1.56 PEN 5.37

9.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$9,956 PEN 34.3K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

$28.5K PEN 98.1K

-56.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$29.26 PEN 101

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.47 PEN 39.52

$14.44 PEN 49.79

-20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 PEN 59.2

$43.40 PEN 150

-60.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.48 PEN 49.91

$29.55 PEN 102

-51.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 PEN 101

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 PEN 15.31

$4.43 PEN 15.28

0.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$72.4 PEN 250

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.29 PEN 59.6

$37.57 PEN 130

-53.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.45 PEN 91.2

$33.55 PEN 116

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 PEN 353

$53.9 PEN 186

89.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 PEN 355

$73.3 PEN 253

40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 PEN 1,180

$218 PEN 753

56.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.5 PEN 305

$192 PEN 663

-54.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 PEN 2,968

$535 PEN 1,844

60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 PEN 799

$426 PEN 1,468

-45.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 PEN 6,493

$3,237 PEN 11.2K

-41.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 PEN 5,995

$1,882 PEN 6,488

-7.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 PEN 1,624

$430 PEN 1,482

9.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cusco: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3%

Cusco

$188 27.2% 56.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Ayacucho

$112 23.6%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 20.4% $23

Accommodation & Living

Ayacucho

$88 18.7%

Cusco

$192 27.9% 118% $104

Eating Out

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8%

Cusco

$83 12% 48.8% $27

Getting Around

Ayacucho

$46 9.7%

Cusco

$12 * 1.8% 72.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ayacucho

$29 * 6%

Cusco

$87 12.6% 204% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Ayacucho

$23 4.9%

Cusco

$38 5.6% 64.4% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Ayacucho and $218 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ayacucho pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

Same time as Ayacucho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,427

428,450

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ayacucho Cusco 250 km

From you

Ayacucho
Cusco

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ayacucho vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Cusco. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Ayacucho, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Ayacucho versus $218 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Cusco. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $474 per month in Ayacucho versus $690 in Cusco – Ayacucho is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ayacucho gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.