Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $320 less a year. The total is higher in Cusco despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Iquitos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Cusco versus $656 in Iquitos.

Cusco $683
Iquitos $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Cusco versus $1,177 in Iquitos.

Cusco $1,092
Iquitos $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Cusco versus $1,697 in Iquitos.

Cusco $1,502
Iquitos $1,697

Living in Cusco is roughly 4% more expensive than in Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 50% lower, Iquitos 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.13

$4.23 PEN 14.56

-51.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.81 PEN 68.2

$37.33 PEN 129

-46.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 PEN 21.83

$7.07 PEN 24.35

-10.33%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PEN 7.35

$3.41 PEN 11.75

-37.24%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$0.83 PEN 2.85

-4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 PEN 1.22

$0.59 PEN 2.05

-40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.13

$2.92 PEN 10.06

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 PEN 14.81

$7.19 PEN 24.75

-40.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.69 PEN 5.82

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PEN 7.88

$2.26 PEN 7.78

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

Eggs

$3.67 PEN 12.65

$2.60 PEN 8.95

41.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.43

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 PEN 15.08

$3.21 PEN 11.03

36.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.13

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.85

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.03

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.55

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.18

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

$29.1K PEN 100.1K

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

$28.92 PEN 99.5

$35.08 PEN 121

-17.56%

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

$14.18 PEN 48.81

$11.15 PEN 38.37

27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 PEN 149

$8.58 PEN 29.55

404.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.6

$29.56 PEN 102

-4.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.61

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.58

$5.63 PEN 19.38

-24.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,502

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 PEN 129

$87.4 PEN 301

-56.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 PEN 112

$34.33 PEN 118

-5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 PEN 186

$52.4 PEN 180

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 PEN 244

$26.33 PEN 90.6

169.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 755

$347 PEN 1,195

-36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 655

$262 PEN 902

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,827

$858 PEN 2,953

-38.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,452

$718 PEN 2,471

-41.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,299

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,442

$580 PEN 1,995

-27.70%

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

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Iquitos

–

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 $347 in Iquitos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquitos pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20 in Cusco vs $37 in Iquitos. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $77, with Iquitos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

Same time as Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

32,853

💱 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 Iquitos 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquitos is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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 $347 in Iquitos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Cusco. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $20 versus $37 in Iquitos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Iquitos 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.