Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $683 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Cusco versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Cusco $683
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Cusco versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Cusco $1,092
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Cusco versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Cusco $1,502
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Cusco costs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 50% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.13

$21.34 $21.34

-90.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.81 PEN 68.2

$87.9 $87.9

-77.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 PEN 21.83

$12.44 $12.44

-49.04%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PEN 7.35

$5.60 $5.60

-61.79%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$3.65 $3.65

-78.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 PEN 1.22

$2.39 $2.39

-85.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.13

$7.82 $7.82

-77.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 PEN 14.81

$8.75 $8.75

-50.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PEN 7.88

$3.62 $3.62

-36.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

$3.50 $3.50

-62.29%

Eggs

$3.67 PEN 12.65

$4.45 $4.45

-17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.43

$13.18 $13.18

-63.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 PEN 15.08

$13.94 $13.94

-68.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.13

$16.46 $16.46

-57.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.85

$4.73 $4.73

-45.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

$1.50 $1.50

-45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.03

$4.64 $4.64

-68.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$4.52 $4.52

-80.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

$2.55 $2.55

-61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.82

$2.39 $2.39

-53.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

$1.84 $1.84

-73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.55

$2.13 $2.13

-65.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.02

$14.88 $14.88

-60.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.35

$2.82 $2.82

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.17

$3.29 $3.29

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.23 $1.23

-75.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.81

$2.68 $2.68

-36.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.39

$1.63 $1.63

14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.84

$35.20 $35.20

-91.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.18

$0.98 $0.98

54.08%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

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

$29.1K PEN 100.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

8.46%

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

$28.92 PEN 99.5

$252 $252

-88.53%

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

$14.18 PEN 48.81

$59.8 $59.8

-76.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 PEN 149

$69.7 $69.7

-37.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.6

$60.4 $60.4

-53.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.58

$13.75 $13.75

-69.16%

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

$1,458 $1,458

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 PEN 129

$52.6 $52.6

-28.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 PEN 112

$45.76 $45.76

-28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 PEN 186

$85.5 $85.5

-36.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 PEN 244

$106 $106

-33.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 755

$2,195 $2,195

-90.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 655

$1,269 $1,269

-85.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,827

$4,000 $4,000

-86.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,452

$2,406 $2,406

-82.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

$7,381 $7,381

-56.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,299

$2,964 $2,964

-38.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,442

$5,043 $5,043

-91.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 567% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 119% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 48.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 342% $295

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 327% $273

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 139% $51

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 369% $45

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 $219 in Cusco and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Cusco vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $407 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

1 h behind Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

974,447

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cusco Austin, TX 5,600 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Austin, TX

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

Cusco vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cusco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Cusco. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $219 in Cusco versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $683 per month in Cusco versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Cusco is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $683 in Cusco versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Cusco wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.