Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Santiago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Cusco versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Cusco $688
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Cusco versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Cusco $1,096
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,505 in Cusco versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Cusco $1,505
Santiago $2,564

Living in Cusco costs roughly 43% less than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 49% lower, Santiago 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 PEN 6.85

$10.19 CLP 9,954

-80.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

-60.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 PEN 23.04

$8.54 CLP 8,342

-21.55%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PEN 7.24

$3.19 CLP 3,122

-33.86%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$1.68 CLP 1,641

-53.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.13

$1.22 CLP 1,194

-72.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$4.21 CLP 4,110

-59.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PEN 14.90

$4.66 CLP 4,550

-7.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

$1.32 CLP 1,286

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.97

$1.80 CLP 1,760

28.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$1.58 CLP 1,547

-18.35%

Eggs

$3.63 PEN 12.48

$4.25 CLP 4,151

-14.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.69 PEN 16.14

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-58.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 PEN 15.24

$6.75 CLP 6,596

-34.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.35

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

-30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$2.04 CLP 1,995

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.53 CLP 1,500

-49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.04

$1.59 CLP 1,553

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$1.75 CLP 1,712

-51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.08 CLP 1,054

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$1.51 CLP 1,480

-27.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 PEN 1.67

$1.17 CLP 1,148

-58.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.58

$1.07 CLP 1,043

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 PEN 20.41

$5.88 CLP 5,745

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.38

$1.55 CLP 1,516

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.16

$2.27 CLP 2,223

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$0.85 CLP 831

-64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$0.39 CLP 383

341.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 PEN 6.65

$0.84 CLP 822

129.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

-76.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.42

$1.50 CLP 1,470

4.67%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

33.91%

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

$29.31 PEN 101

$151 CLP 147.7K

-80.60%

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

$14.31 PEN 49.22

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.13 PEN 152

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

133.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 PEN 98.1

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

-15.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PEN 14.64

$7.37 CLP 7,202

-42.20%

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

$434 CLP 424.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.39 PEN 129

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

-26.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 PEN 115

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PEN 187

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

-19.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 PEN 248

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

-9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 748

$555 CLP 542.0K

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 PEN 657

$372 CLP 364.0K

-48.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,849

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 PEN 1,431

$779 CLP 760.9K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

21.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 PEN 6,270

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-30.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PEN 1,490

$791 CLP 773.5K

-45.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$191 27.8%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 95.1% $182

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27.2%

Santiago

$236 20% 26.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 15.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$88 12.8%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 108% $94

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.1%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 126% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 31.1% $12

Getting Around

Cusco

$13 * 1.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 293% $37

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 $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 83% 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 $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $236 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

2 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, 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).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cusco Santiago 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Santiago

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 Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Santiago. 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 $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Santiago. 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 $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $1,206 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Santiago. 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 Santiago, 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 75% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.