Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $683 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Cusco versus $2,683 in Vancouver.

Cusco $683
Vancouver $2,683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,092 in Cusco versus $3,963 in Vancouver.

Cusco $1,092
Vancouver $3,963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Cusco versus $5,244 in Vancouver.

Cusco $1,502
Vancouver $5,244

Living in Cusco costs roughly 75% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 50% below, Vancouver is 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.13

$18.10 CA$25.26

-88.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.81 PEN 68.2

$71.0 CA$99.1

-72.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 PEN 21.83

$10.57 CA$14.75

-40.02%

Cappuccino

$2.14 PEN 7.35

$3.97 CA$5.54

-46.10%

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

$0.79 PEN 2.71

$2.07 CA$2.89

-61.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 PEN 1.22

$1.85 CA$2.58

-81.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.13

$5.67 CA$7.91

-68.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 PEN 14.81

$6.61 CA$9.23

-34.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$2.16 CA$3.01

-41.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PEN 7.88

$2.58 CA$3.60

-11.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

$4.30 CA$6.00

-69.30%

Eggs

$3.67 PEN 12.65

$4.09 CA$5.71

-10.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.43

$12.12 CA$16.91

-60.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 PEN 15.08

$13.28 CA$18.54

-67.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.13

$20.11 CA$28.07

-65.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.85

$3.96 CA$5.53

-35.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

$1.43 CA$1.99

-42.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.03

$3.71 CA$5.18

-60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$3.92 CA$5.48

-77.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

$2.87 CA$4.00

-65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.82

$2.98 CA$4.16

-62.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

$2.61 CA$3.65

-81.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.55

$1.63 CA$2.28

-54.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.25

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.02

$14.25 CA$19.89

-59.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.35

$2.52 CA$3.52

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.17

$2.87 CA$4.01

43.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$2.57 CA$3.58

-88.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.81

$2.74 CA$3.83

-38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.39

$1.63 CA$2.27

14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.84

$31.90 CA$44.52

-91.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.18

$1.46 CA$2.03

3.42%

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

$26.7K CA$37.3K

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

$29.1K PEN 100.1K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

38.31%

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

$28.92 PEN 99.5

$88.2 CA$123

-67.23%

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

$14.18 PEN 48.81

$36.72 CA$51.3

-61.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 PEN 149

$49.81 CA$69.5

-13.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.6

$45.34 CA$63.3

-37.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$16.93

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.58

$12.55 CA$17.52

-66.22%

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

$1,055 CA$1,473

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.61 PEN 129

$56.4 CA$78.8

-33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 PEN 112

$34.37 CA$47.98

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 PEN 186

$89.8 CA$125

-39.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 PEN 244

$94.3 CA$132

-24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 755

$1,738 CA$2,426

-87.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 655

$1,528 CA$2,134

-87.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,827

$3,107 CA$4,337

-82.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,452

$2,547 CA$3,555

-83.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

$8,540 CA$11.9K

-62.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,299

$6,328 CA$8,833

-71.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,442

$3,770 CA$5,262

-88.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

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

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 704% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Vancouver

$398 14.9% 114% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Vancouver

$124 4.6% 40.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Vancouver

$175 6.5% 102% $88

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Vancouver

$281 10.5% 238% $198

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 91.3% $34

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Vancouver

$106 3.9% 766% $93

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 $1,738 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Cusco vs $71 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $398 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

18:41 6:41 PM

2 h behind Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

631,486

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cusco Vancouver 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Cusco. 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: $219 in Cusco versus $1,738 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Vancouver. 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 versus $71 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $683 in Cusco versus $2,683 in Vancouver, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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