Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $320 less a year. The total is higher in Cusco despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index

Jump to prices

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquitos and in Cusco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iquitos and in Cusco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Iquitos versus $683 in Cusco.

Iquitos $656
Cusco $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Iquitos versus $1,092 in Cusco.

Iquitos $1,177
Cusco $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,697 in Iquitos versus $1,502 in Cusco.

Iquitos $1,697
Cusco $1,502

Living in Iquitos costs roughly 4% less than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iquitos 52% lower, Cusco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 PEN 14.56

$2.07 PEN 7.13

104.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.33 PEN 129

$19.81 PEN 68.2

88.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 PEN 24.35

$6.34 PEN 21.83

11.51%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.75

$2.14 PEN 7.35

59.35%

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

$0.83 PEN 2.85

$0.79 PEN 2.71

5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$0.35 PEN 1.22

68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 PEN 10.06

$1.78 PEN 6.13

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 PEN 24.75

$4.30 PEN 14.81

67.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$1.27 PEN 4.36

33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PEN 7.78

$2.29 PEN 7.88

-1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.55

Eggs

$2.60 PEN 8.95

$3.67 PEN 12.65

-29.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.77 PEN 16.43

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 PEN 11.03

$4.38 PEN 15.08

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.13

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 PEN 8.85

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.84

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 5.03

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 PEN 3.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PEN 1.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$0.74 PEN 2.55

22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 PEN 20.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 PEN 5.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PEN 6.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.18

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

$29.1K PEN 100.1K

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

$35.08 PEN 121

$28.92 PEN 99.5

21.30%

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

$11.15 PEN 38.37

$14.18 PEN 48.81

-21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 PEN 29.55

$43.31 PEN 149

-80.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 PEN 102

$28.36 PEN 97.6

4.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.89 PEN 30.61

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 PEN 19.38

$4.24 PEN 14.58

32.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 PEN 9,502

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 PEN 301

$37.61 PEN 129

132.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 PEN 118

$32.57 PEN 112

5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 PEN 180

$54.1 PEN 186

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.33 PEN 90.6

$70.9 PEN 244

-62.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,195

$219 PEN 755

58.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 PEN 902

$190 PEN 655

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 PEN 2,953

$531 PEN 1,827

61.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 PEN 2,471

$422 PEN 1,452

70.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,299

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 PEN 1,995

$419 PEN 1,442

38.31%

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

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 $347 in Iquitos and $219 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquitos pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Iquitos vs $20 in Cusco. Groceries flip the comparison at $77 vs $186, with Iquitos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

Same time as Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

428,450

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iquitos Cusco 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
Cusco

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

Iquitos vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquitos is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Iquitos, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $347 in Iquitos versus $219 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Cusco. 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 $37 in Iquitos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Iquitos 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.