Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and La Merced

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $558 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cusco outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in La Merced
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La Merced Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

La Merced

🇵🇪 Peru

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in La Merced

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Cusco versus $558 in La Merced.

Cusco $683
La Merced $558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Cusco versus $910 in La Merced.

Cusco $1,092
La Merced $910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Cusco versus $1,263 in La Merced.

Cusco $1,502
La Merced $1,263

Living in Cusco is roughly 22% more expensive than in La Merced, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 50% lower, La Merced 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.15

$4.38 PEN 15.10

-52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.81 PEN 68.3

$34.86 PEN 120

-43.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 PEN 21.87

$7.01 PEN 24.19

-9.56%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PEN 7.36

$3.18 PEN 10.97

-32.70%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$1.08 PEN 3.72

-26.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 PEN 1.22

$0.65 PEN 2.24

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.14

$2.57 PEN 8.86

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 PEN 14.84

$4.29 PEN 14.81

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.37

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PEN 7.90

$2.07 PEN 7.15

10.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.56

$1.28 PEN 4.43

3.13%

Eggs

$3.67 PEN 12.67

$2.35 PEN 8.11

56.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.47

$7.33 PEN 25.29

-34.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 PEN 15.11

$5.78 PEN 19.94

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.18

$8.68 PEN 29.94

-19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.87

$0.92 PEN 3.17

179.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

$0.45 PEN 1.56

82.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.04

$0.30 PEN 1.04

386.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.71 PEN 2.46

25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

$0.28 PEN 0.96

250.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.83

$0.45 PEN 1.55

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

$0.60 PEN 2.07

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.55

$0.87 PEN 3.01

-14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 PEN 19.42

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.06

$7.33 PEN 25.30

-20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.36

$1.90 PEN 6.56

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.19

$3.08 PEN 10.61

33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$3.43 PEN 11.84

-50.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.41

$2.07 PEN 7.14

-10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.86

$7.64 PEN 26.37

-62.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.19

$1.64 PEN 5.65

-7.93%

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

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

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

$29.1K PEN 100.3K

$28.9K PEN 99.8K

0.50%

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

$28.92 PEN 99.8

$66.7 PEN 230

-56.61%

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

$14.18 PEN 48.92

$15.80 PEN 54.5

-10.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 PEN 149

$27.06 PEN 93.4

60.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.61

$7.14 PEN 24.63

-40.62%

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

$318 PEN 1,096

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K PEN 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 PEN 130

$53.3 PEN 184

-29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 PEN 112

$35.12 PEN 121

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 PEN 187

$83.7 PEN 289

-35.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 PEN 245

$79.1 PEN 273

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 756

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 656

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,831

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,455

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,313

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,445

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

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

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Last update for La Merced: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$190 27.9%

La Merced

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$186 27.2%

La Merced

$185 33.1% 0.5% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$88 12.9%

La Merced

$113 20.3% 28.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$86 12.7%

La Merced

$110 19.6% 26.7% $23

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.2%

La Merced

$123 22% 47.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

La Merced

$14 * 2.6% 61.2% $23

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

La Merced

$14 * 2.5% 13% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20 in Cusco vs $35 in La Merced. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $185, with La Merced cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇵🇪 La Merced

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

Same time as Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

8,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cusco La Merced 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
La Merced

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 La Merced: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Merced is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,024 in Cusco and $837 in La Merced to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $20 versus $35 in La Merced. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $683 per month in Cusco versus $558 in La Merced – La Merced is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though La Merced 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.