Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiclayo and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiclayo and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $751 per month in Chiclayo vs $747 in Cusco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,258 per month in Chiclayo vs $1,171 in Cusco, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,765 per month in Chiclayo vs $1,596 in Cusco, rent included.

Chiclayo costs about 1% more than Cusco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiclayo and Cusco are more affordable than the global median – Chiclayo 44% lower, Cusco 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 PEN 16.85

$2.81 PEN 9.56

76.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.86 PEN 115

$27.73 PEN 94.3

22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 PEN 28.27

$5.64 PEN 19.20

47.34%

Cappuccino

$4.08 PEN 13.89

$2.02 PEN 6.86

101.98%

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

$0.86 PEN 2.94

$1.23 PEN 4.17

-30.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 PEN 1.70

$0.74 PEN 2.50

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 PEN 8.46

$2.19 PEN 7.44

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 PEN 14.39

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 PEN 4.85

$1.46 PEN 4.95

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$3.01 PEN 10.24

-46.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 PEN 5.79

$1.33 PEN 4.53

27.82%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.39

$3.87 PEN 13.15

-21.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 PEN 20.67

$4.76 PEN 16.20

27.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 PEN 19.96

$4.89 PEN 16.62

20.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 PEN 29.74

$6.88 PEN 23.41

27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 PEN 6.49

$2.37 PEN 8.06

-19.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 PEN 5.33

$0.72 PEN 2.45

118.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.71

$1.27 PEN 4.32

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 PEN 5.37

$0.90 PEN 3.05

75.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.11

$1.00 PEN 3.39

-9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.67

$0.96 PEN 3.26

42.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 PEN 2.40

$0.70 PEN 2.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$0.68 PEN 2.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 PEN 14.98

$4.83 PEN 16.42

-8.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.66 PEN 49.88

$5.86 PEN 19.93

150.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PEN 4.54

$1.98 PEN 6.74

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 PEN 5.46

$3.06 PEN 10.42

-47.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 PEN 1.74

$0.27 PEN 0.91

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.32 PEN 93.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 PEN 9.19

$1.69 PEN 5.74

59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 PEN 3.82

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 PEN 16.08

$2.79 PEN 9.49

69.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 PEN 4.38

$1.51 PEN 5.13

-14.57%

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

$23.5K PEN 79.9K

$18.8K PEN 63.9K

25.00%

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

$22.6K PEN 77.0K

$22.1K PEN 75.2K

2.31%

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

$38.47 PEN 131

$33.09 PEN 113

16.26%

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

$14.88 PEN 50.6

$14.07 PEN 47.86

5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 PEN 119

$30.14 PEN 103

16.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 PEN 109

$30.93 PEN 105

3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.46 PEN 114

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 PEN 19.32

$4.76 PEN 16.19

19.33%

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

$225 PEN 764

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,378 PEN 11.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.75 PEN 152

$36.52 PEN 124

22.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.52 PEN 124

$28.63 PEN 97.4

27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 PEN 280

$61.6 PEN 210

33.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.36 PEN 134

$70.4 PEN 239

-44.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PEN 426

$304 PEN 1,033

-58.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 PEN 468

$250 PEN 850

-45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 PEN 1,108

$582 PEN 1,979

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 PEN 1,228

$410 PEN 1,395

-11.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,112 PEN 3,784

$3,889 PEN 13.2K

-71.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,109 PEN 3,772

$1,754 PEN 5,968

-36.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$469 PEN 1,594

$432 PEN 1,471

8.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-9.09%

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

Last update for Chiclayo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Cusco: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Chiclayo versus $304 in Cusco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Chiclayo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chiclayo versus $28.00 in Cusco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $194 – making Cusco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chiclayo vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $751 in Chiclayo, $747 in Cusco – roughly 1% apart. Chiclayo costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,127 per month in Chiclayo and $1,120 in Cusco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cusco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chiclayo and $28.00 in Cusco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $751 in Chiclayo and $747 in Cusco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $751 in Chiclayo and $747 in Cusco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cusco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $747 in Cusco to $751 in Chiclayo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cusco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiclayo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.