Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $502 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Pucallpa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Cusco versus $502 in Pucallpa.

Cusco $683
Pucallpa $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Cusco versus $826 in Pucallpa.

Cusco $1,092
Pucallpa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Cusco versus $1,149 in Pucallpa.

Cusco $1,502
Pucallpa $1,149

Living in Cusco is roughly 36% more expensive than in Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 50% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.14

$2.30 PEN 7.92

-10.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.81 PEN 68.3

$11.70 PEN 40.31

69.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 PEN 21.86

$5.32 PEN 18.34

19.17%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PEN 7.36

$1.99 PEN 6.87

7.54%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$1.03 PEN 3.56

-23.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 PEN 1.22

$0.28 PEN 0.95

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.14

$1.78 PEN 6.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 PEN 14.83

$2.29 PEN 7.90

87.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.05 PEN 3.62

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PEN 7.89

$3.55 PEN 12.24

-35.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

$1.13 PEN 3.89

16.81%

Eggs

$3.67 PEN 12.66

$1.71 PEN 5.89

114.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.45

$2.06 PEN 7.11

131.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 PEN 15.10

$3.99 PEN 13.75

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.15

$3.42 PEN 11.78

104.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.86

$2.27 PEN 7.81

13.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

$1.43 PEN 4.94

-42.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.03

$1.49 PEN 5.14

-2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$2.60 PEN 8.94

-65.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

$2.93 PEN 10.11

-66.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.83

$1.98 PEN 6.83

-43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

$2.27 PEN 7.82

-78.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.55

$1.03 PEN 3.55

-28.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 PEN 15.90

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.05

$7.66 PEN 26.41

-24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.35

$2.33 PEN 8.03

-21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.18

$3.56 PEN 12.28

15.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

$1.14 PEN 3.91

-73.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$1.44 PEN 4.95

17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.40

$0.56 PEN 1.94

232.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.19

$1.27 PEN 4.36

18.90%

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

$29.1K PEN 100.2K

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

$28.92 PEN 99.7

$51.2 PEN 176

-43.52%

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

$14.18 PEN 48.87

$34.95 PEN 120

-59.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 PEN 149

$44.29 PEN 153

-2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.7

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.60

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 PEN 130

$52.5 PEN 181

-28.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 PEN 112

$34.57 PEN 119

-5.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 PEN 187

$34.53 PEN 119

56.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 PEN 244

$67.5 PEN 233

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 756

$114 PEN 393

92.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 656

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,829

$234 PEN 807

126.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,454

$124 PEN 428

239.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,307

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,444

$407 PEN 1,403

2.91%

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

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Pucallpa

–

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Pucallpa

–

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 $114 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cusco pays 3% 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 in Cusco vs $12 in Pucallpa. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $201, with Cusco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

Same time as Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

326,040

💱 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 Pucallpa 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Pucallpa

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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,024 in Cusco and $753 in Pucallpa 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $219 in Cusco versus $114 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cusco pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $20 in Cusco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Pucallpa 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.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Cusco on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.