Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Chiclayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $692 a month against $995 in Chiclayo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Chiclayo despite lower rent and utilities.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Chiclayo
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Chiclayo Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$692

/mo nomad

Chiclayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$995

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Chiclayo

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 Chiclayo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $692 per month in Cusco vs $995 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Cusco $692
Chiclayo $995

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Cusco vs $1,581 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Cusco $1,102
Chiclayo $1,581

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Cusco vs $2,167 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Cusco $1,512
Chiclayo $2,167

Cusco is about 30% cheaper than Chiclayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cusco and Chiclayo are more affordable than the global median – Cusco 49% lower, Chiclayo 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.11

$5.09 PEN 17.49

-59.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.09 PEN 69.0

$34.64 PEN 119

-42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 PEN 22.28

$8.94 PEN 30.69

-27.40%

Cappuccino

$2.18 PEN 7.48

$4.28 PEN 14.70

-49.07%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.67

$0.88 PEN 3.02

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.12

$0.46 PEN 1.58

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.83

$8.49 PEN 29.16

-79.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 PEN 14.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 PEN 4.33

$2.18 PEN 7.49

-42.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 PEN 7.92

$2.21 PEN 7.60

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$2.15 PEN 7.38

-39.53%

Eggs

$3.52 PEN 12.07

$2.42 PEN 8.30

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 PEN 16.07

$6.72 PEN 23.07

-30.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 PEN 15.08

$6.36 PEN 21.85

-30.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 PEN 24.44

$9.56 PEN 32.85

-25.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 PEN 9.15

$2.53 PEN 8.69

5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$1.81 PEN 6.22

-54.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.89

$2.47 PEN 8.47

-42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.09

$1.74 PEN 5.98

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$1.15 PEN 3.95

-10.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 PEN 3.85

$2.15 PEN 7.39

-47.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.84

$0.67 PEN 2.28

-20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$0.95 PEN 3.27

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 PEN 18.17

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 PEN 20.13

$12.02 PEN 41.28

-51.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 PEN 6.63

$1.50 PEN 5.15

28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 PEN 14.18

$1.84 PEN 6.32

124.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.73 PEN 2.52

-61.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 PEN 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 PEN 5.94

$3.20 PEN 10.99

-45.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 PEN 6.58

$2.91 PEN 9.98

-34.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 PEN 10.10

$6.41 PEN 22.01

-54.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.39

$1.29 PEN 4.43

21.71%

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

$25.0K PEN 85.7K

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

$29.2K PEN 100.3K

$23.8K PEN 81.7K

22.81%

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

$28.88 PEN 99.2

$49.99 PEN 172

-42.23%

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

$14.39 PEN 49.41

$26.73 PEN 91.8

-46.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 PEN 151

$31.73 PEN 109

38.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$61.1 PEN 210

-52.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.30 PEN 86.9

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 PEN 15.35

$7.63 PEN 26.21

-41.42%

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

$248 PEN 852

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,972 PEN 13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.01 PEN 127

$50.1 PEN 172

-26.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 PEN 117

$59.6 PEN 205

-43.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 PEN 187

$199 PEN 684

-72.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 PEN 252

$147 PEN 505

-50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 PEN 736

$235 PEN 806

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 PEN 666

$146 PEN 502

32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 PEN 1,850

$449 PEN 1,541

20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,446

$253 PEN 869

66.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 PEN 10.9K

$1,123 PEN 3,858

183.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,825 PEN 6,269

$1,080 PEN 3,710

68.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PEN 1,442

$489 PEN 1,680

-14.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Cusco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiclayo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$194 28%

Chiclayo

$146 14.7% 24.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27%

Chiclayo

$242 24.3% 29.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Chiclayo

$205 20.6% 129% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$87 12.6%

Chiclayo

$108 10.9% 24.2% $21

Eating Out

Cusco

$84 12.1%

Chiclayo

$167 * 16.8% 99.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$38 5.5%

Chiclayo

$76 7.7% 101% $38

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Chiclayo

$50 5% 300% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Cusco versus $235 in Chiclayo. 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 17% 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 $20.00 in Cusco versus $35.00 in Chiclayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $242 – making Cusco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇵🇪 Chiclayo

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

Same time as Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

60,325

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cusco Chiclayo 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Chiclayo

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 Chiclayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $692 in Cusco, $995 in Chiclayo – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Cusco and $1,492 in Chiclayo. 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 $20.00 in Cusco and $35.00 in Chiclayo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $692 in Cusco and $995 in Chiclayo. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cusco, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Chiclayo at $995. In Cusco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiclayo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cusco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $692 in Cusco to $995 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.