Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Cordoba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $1,351 in Cordoba, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Cordoba
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Cordoba Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Cordoba

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Cordoba

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

A single person spends $688 per month in Cusco vs $1,351 in Cordoba, rent included.

Cusco $688
Cordoba $1,351

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in Cusco vs $2,281 in Cordoba, rent included.

Cusco $1,096
Cordoba $2,281

A family of three spends $1,505 per month in Cusco vs $3,211 in Cordoba, rent included.

Cusco $1,505
Cordoba $3,211

Cusco is about 49% cheaper than Cordoba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cusco sits 49% below the global median, while Cordoba is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 PEN 6.85

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-85.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$53.3 ARS 80.8K

-61.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 PEN 23.04

$13.21 ARS 20.0K

-49.28%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PEN 7.24

$3.70 ARS 5,608

-42.97%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$2.56 ARS 3,879

-69.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.13

$2.03 ARS 3,073

-83.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$3.36 ARS 5,097

-48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PEN 14.90

$3.64 ARS 5,515

18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

$1.63 ARS 2,470

-23.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.97

$2.82 ARS 4,282

-17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$2.06 ARS 3,120

-37.38%

Eggs

$3.63 PEN 12.48

$2.45 ARS 3,721

48.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.69 PEN 16.14

$10.14 ARS 15.4K

-53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 PEN 15.24

$8.19 ARS 12.4K

-45.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.35

$11.48 ARS 17.4K

-35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$2.56 ARS 3,885

-0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$2.30 ARS 3,489

-66.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.04

$1.66 ARS 2,511

-11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$2.75 ARS 4,169

-69.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.17 ARS 1,779

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$1.35 ARS 2,040

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 PEN 1.67

$1.26 ARS 1,908

-61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.58

$1.68 ARS 2,554

-55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 ARS 7,562

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 PEN 20.41

$4.86 ARS 7,365

22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.38

$2.26 ARS 3,431

-18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.16

$3.66 ARS 5,552

12.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.27 ARS 1,930

-76.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 ARS 86.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.28 ARS 1,946

34.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 PEN 6.65

$1.94 ARS 2,944

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$7.12 ARS 10.8K

-60.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.42

$1.16 ARS 1,760

35.34%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

$36.1K ARS 54.7M

-19.77%

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

$29.31 PEN 101

$159 ARS 241.2K

-81.58%

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

$14.31 PEN 49.22

$17.46 ARS 26.5K

-18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.13 PEN 152

$32.30 ARS 49.0K

36.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 PEN 98.1

$28.56 ARS 43.3K

-0.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.34 ARS 35.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PEN 14.64

$10.11 ARS 15.3K

-57.86%

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

$218 ARS 330.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,151 ARS 6.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.39 PEN 129

$127 ARS 192.7K

-70.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 PEN 115

$103 ARS 156.8K

-67.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PEN 187

$141 ARS 213.1K

-61.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 PEN 248

$134 ARS 202.8K

-46.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 748

$489 ARS 741.6K

-55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 PEN 657

$306 ARS 464.4K

-37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,849

$1,001 ARS 1.5M

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 PEN 1,431

$792 ARS 1.2M

-47.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

$2,762 ARS 4.2M

17.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 PEN 6,270

$1,591 ARS 2.4M

14.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PEN 1,490

$656 ARS 994.2K

-33.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

48.5

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

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cordoba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$191 27.8%

Cordoba

$306 22.3% 60.5% $115

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27.2%

Cordoba

$275 20% 47.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Cordoba

$227 16.5% 156% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$88 12.8%

Cordoba

$209 15.2% 138% $121

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.1%

Cordoba

$236 17.2% 185% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Cordoba

$49 3.6% 31.8% $12

Getting Around

Cusco

$13 * 1.8%

Cordoba

$73 5.3% 482% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $218 in Cusco versus $489 in Cordoba. 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 51% higher in Cordoba, 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 $21.00 in Cusco versus $53.0 in Cordoba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $275 – making Cusco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇦🇷 Cordoba

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

2 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

1,655,481

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cusco Cordoba 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Cordoba

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 Cordoba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cordoba is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,032 per month in Cusco and $2,027 in Cordoba. 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.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Cordoba, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Cusco and $53.0 in Cordoba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cusco, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Cordoba at $1,351. In Cusco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cordoba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cusco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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