Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $53,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Cusco versus $5,142 in New York, NY.

Cusco $688
New York, NY $5,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Cusco versus $7,455 in New York, NY.

Cusco $1,096
New York, NY $7,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,505 in Cusco versus $9,767 in New York, NY.

Cusco $1,505
New York, NY $9,767

Living in Cusco costs roughly 87% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 49% below, New York, NY is 284% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 PEN 6.85

$26.46 $26.46

-92.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$119 $119

-82.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 PEN 23.04

$14.43 $14.43

-53.57%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PEN 7.24

$6.55 $6.55

-67.79%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$3.84 $3.84

-79.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.13

$3.00 $3.00

-89.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$8.27 $8.27

-79.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PEN 14.90

$10.05 $10.05

-56.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

$1.31 $1.31

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.97

$4.90 $4.90

-52.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$7.16 $7.16

-81.98%

Eggs

$3.63 PEN 12.48

$5.92 $5.92

-38.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.69 PEN 16.14

$19.06 $19.06

-75.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 PEN 15.24

$17.38 $17.38

-74.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.35

$18.94 $18.94

-61.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$6.96 $6.96

-63.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$2.08 $2.08

-62.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.04

$6.10 $6.10

-75.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$6.95 $6.95

-87.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$3.98 $3.98

-74.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$4.44 $4.44

-75.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 PEN 1.67

$2.81 $2.81

-82.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.58

$2.51 $2.51

-70.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 PEN 20.41

$19.67 $19.67

-69.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.38

$3.08 $3.08

-39.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.16

$3.68 $3.68

11.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$3.02 $3.02

-90.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$3.07 $3.07

-43.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 PEN 6.65

$2.13 $2.13

-9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$41.21 $41.21

-93.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.42

$1.11 $1.11

41.44%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

$25.4K $25.4K

13.94%

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

$29.31 PEN 101

$217 $217

-86.52%

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

$14.31 PEN 49.22

$74.0 $74.0

-80.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.13 PEN 152

$72.5 $72.5

-39.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 PEN 98.1

$120 $120

-76.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PEN 14.64

$22.32 $22.32

-80.91%

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

$3,425 $3,425

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.39 PEN 129

$76.3 $76.3

-51.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 PEN 115

$55.5 $55.5

-39.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PEN 187

$119 $119

-54.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 PEN 248

$131 $131

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 748

$4,506 $4,506

-95.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 PEN 657

$3,155 $3,155

-93.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,849

$8,817 $8,817

-93.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 PEN 1,431

$5,532 $5,532

-92.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

$19.4K $19.4K

-83.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 PEN 6,270

$6,754 $6,754

-73.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PEN 1,490

$5,290 $5,290

-91.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$191 27.8%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 1553% $3K

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27.2%

New York, NY

$546 11% 193% $359

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 93.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$88 12.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 315% $276

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.1%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 409% $339

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 346% $128

Getting Around

Cusco

$13 * 1.8%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 1212% $153

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 $218 in Cusco and $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 1121% 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: $21.00 in Cusco vs $119 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $546 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

04:36 4:36 AM

1 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cusco New York, NY 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 648% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1121% lower in New York, NY. 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: $218 in Cusco versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 193% higher in New York, NY. 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 $21.00 versus $119 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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 New York, NY, 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 648% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.