Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 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
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Seattle, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Cusco versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

Cusco $688
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Cusco versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

Cusco $1,096
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,505 in Cusco versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

Cusco $1,505
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in Cusco costs roughly 82% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 49% below, Seattle, WA is 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 PEN 6.85

$24.56 $24.56

-91.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$99.5 $99.5

-79.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 PEN 23.04

$15.30 $15.30

-56.21%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PEN 7.24

$6.62 $6.62

-68.13%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$3.25 $3.25

-76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.13

$3.11 $3.11

-89.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$7.77 $7.77

-77.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PEN 14.90

$7.93 $7.93

-45.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

$1.21 $1.21

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.97

$4.94 $4.94

-53.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$6.17 $6.17

-79.09%

Eggs

$3.63 PEN 12.48

$4.96 $4.96

-26.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.69 PEN 16.14

$19.00 $19.00

-75.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 PEN 15.24

$18.69 $18.69

-76.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.35

$23.14 $23.14

-68.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$5.93 $5.93

-57.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.94 $1.94

-60.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.04

$5.19 $5.19

-71.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$6.55 $6.55

-87.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$3.62 $3.62

-71.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$3.16 $3.16

-65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 PEN 1.67

$2.91 $2.91

-83.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.58

$2.38 $2.38

-68.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 PEN 20.41

$15.02 $15.02

-60.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.38

$4.30 $4.30

-56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.16

$5.69 $5.69

-27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$3.05 $3.05

-90.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$2.64 $2.64

-34.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 PEN 6.65

$1.74 $1.74

10.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$30.02 $30.02

-90.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.42

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

12.68%

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

$29.31 PEN 101

$299 $299

-90.21%

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

$14.31 PEN 49.22

$69.7 $69.7

-79.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.13 PEN 152

$90.1 $90.1

-51.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 PEN 98.1

$80.0 $80.0

-64.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PEN 14.64

$17.33 $17.33

-75.42%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.39 PEN 129

$77.7 $77.7

-51.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 PEN 115

$54.9 $54.9

-39.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PEN 187

$126 $126

-56.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 PEN 248

$165 $165

-56.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 748

$2,407 $2,407

-90.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 PEN 657

$1,963 $1,963

-90.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,849

$4,788 $4,788

-88.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 PEN 1,431

$3,561 $3,561

-88.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

$7,430 $7,430

-56.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 PEN 6,270

$5,010 $5,010

-63.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PEN 1,490

$6,280 $6,280

-93.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

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

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$191 27.8%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 929% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27.2%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 190% $354

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 115% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$88 12.8%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 423% $372

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 384% $319

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 210% $78

Getting Around

Cusco

$13 * 1.8%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 949% $120

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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 1350% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $541 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

2 h behind Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

737,015

💱 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 Seattle, WA 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 444% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1350% lower in Seattle, WA. 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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Seattle, WA. 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 Seattle, WA, 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 444% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.