Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $692 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$692

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Cusco versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Cusco $692
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Cusco versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Cusco $1,102
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,512 in Cusco versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Cusco $1,512
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Cusco costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 49% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.11

$10.75 MX$199

-80.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.09 PEN 69.0

$50.3 MX$929

-60.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 PEN 22.28

$11.10 MX$205

-41.53%

Cappuccino

$2.18 PEN 7.48

$3.68 MX$68.1

-40.76%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.67

$1.65 MX$30.42

-52.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.12

$1.30 MX$24.08

-74.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.83

$3.32 MX$61.3

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 PEN 14.51

$5.54 MX$102

-23.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 PEN 4.33

$1.77 MX$32.68

-28.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 PEN 7.92

$3.05 MX$56.4

-24.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$2.01 MX$37.20

-35.32%

Eggs

$3.52 PEN 12.07

$2.77 MX$51.1

27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 PEN 16.07

$11.91 MX$220

-60.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 PEN 15.08

$9.33 MX$172

-52.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 PEN 24.44

$15.02 MX$278

-52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 PEN 9.15

$3.08 MX$56.8

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$1.95 MX$35.97

-57.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.89

$2.03 MX$37.54

-30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.09

$2.21 MX$40.92

-59.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$2.02 MX$37.41

-49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 PEN 3.85

$1.82 MX$33.67

-38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.84

$1.52 MX$28.07

-65.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$1.28 MX$23.65

-41.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 PEN 20.13

$16.12 MX$298

-63.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 PEN 6.63

$1.95 MX$36.05

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 PEN 14.18

$4.25 MX$78.6

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.31 MX$5.82

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 PEN 5.94

$2.00 MX$36.93

-13.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 PEN 6.58

$0.53 MX$9.86

262.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 PEN 10.10

$5.62 MX$104

-47.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.39

$1.52 MX$28.07

3.29%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$29.2K PEN 100.3K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

16.03%

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

$28.88 PEN 99.2

$62.5 MX$1,155

-53.78%

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

$14.39 PEN 49.41

$28.77 MX$532

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 PEN 151

$34.45 MX$637

27.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$57.1 MX$1,055

-48.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 PEN 15.35

$6.67 MX$123

-32.98%

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

$431 MX$7,964

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.01 PEN 127

$70.8 MX$1,308

-47.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 PEN 117

$51.8 MX$958

-34.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 PEN 187

$109 MX$2,011

-49.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 PEN 252

$112 MX$2,076

-34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 PEN 736

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-79.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 PEN 666

$665 MX$12.3K

-70.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 PEN 1,850

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-77.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,446

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-65.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 PEN 10.9K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-10.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,825 PEN 6,269

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-7.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PEN 1,442

$975 MX$18.0K

-56.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Cusco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$194 28%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 243% $471

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 72.7% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 72.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$87 12.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 43.9% $38

Eating Out

Cusco

$84 12.1%

Mexico City

$203 13% 143% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$38 5.5%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 84.9% $32

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 108% $13

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 $214 in Cusco and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Cusco vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $323 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

1 h behind Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cusco Mexico City 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Mexico City. 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: $214 in Cusco versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Mexico City. 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 $20.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Cusco versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.