Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Merced and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $558 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cusco outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

27

Cost of Living Index in La Merced
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La Merced Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index

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La Merced

🇵🇪 Peru

$558

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Merced 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 La Merced and in Cusco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $558 in La Merced versus $683 in Cusco.

La Merced $558
Cusco $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $910 in La Merced versus $1,092 in Cusco.

La Merced $910
Cusco $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,263 in La Merced versus $1,502 in Cusco.

La Merced $1,263
Cusco $1,502

Living in La Merced costs roughly 18% less than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: La Merced 59% lower, Cusco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 PEN 15.10

$2.07 PEN 7.15

111.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 PEN 120

$19.81 PEN 68.3

75.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.19

$6.34 PEN 21.87

10.57%

Cappuccino

$3.18 PEN 10.97

$2.14 PEN 7.36

48.60%

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

$1.08 PEN 3.72

$0.79 PEN 2.71

36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.24

$0.35 PEN 1.22

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PEN 8.86

$1.78 PEN 6.14

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 PEN 14.81

$4.30 PEN 14.84

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.44

$1.27 PEN 4.37

24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 PEN 7.15

$2.29 PEN 7.90

-9.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PEN 4.43

$1.32 PEN 4.56

-3.03%

Eggs

$2.35 PEN 8.11

$3.67 PEN 12.67

-35.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.29

$4.77 PEN 16.47

53.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 PEN 19.94

$4.38 PEN 15.11

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.68 PEN 29.94

$7.01 PEN 24.18

23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.17

$2.57 PEN 8.87

-64.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.56

$0.82 PEN 2.84

-45.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.46 PEN 5.04

-79.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 PEN 2.46

$0.89 PEN 3.07

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.98 PEN 3.38

-71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.55

$1.11 PEN 3.83

-59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 PEN 2.07

$0.48 PEN 1.64

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 3.01

$0.74 PEN 2.55

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 PEN 19.42

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 PEN 25.30

$5.82 PEN 20.06

25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 PEN 6.56

$1.84 PEN 6.36

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.61

$4.12 PEN 14.19

-25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 PEN 11.84

$1.69 PEN 5.82

102.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.14

$1.86 PEN 6.41

11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 PEN 26.37

$2.86 PEN 9.86

167.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.65

$1.51 PEN 5.19

8.61%

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

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

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

$28.9K PEN 99.8K

$29.1K PEN 100.3K

-0.50%

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

$66.7 PEN 230

$28.92 PEN 99.8

130.46%

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

$15.80 PEN 54.5

$14.18 PEN 48.92

11.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 PEN 93.4

$43.31 PEN 149

-37.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 PEN 24.63

$4.24 PEN 14.61

68.40%

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

$318 PEN 1,096

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K PEN 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 PEN 184

$37.61 PEN 130

41.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.12 PEN 121

$32.57 PEN 112

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 PEN 289

$54.1 PEN 187

54.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 PEN 273

$70.9 PEN 245

11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 PEN 756

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 656

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 PEN 1,831

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 PEN 1,455

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,313

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 PEN 1,445

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

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

Last update for La Merced: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cusco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

La Merced

$185 33.1%

Cusco

$186 27.2% 0.5% $0.9

Eating Out

La Merced

$123 22%

Cusco

$83 12.2% 32% $39

Clothing & Footwear

La Merced

$113 20.3%

Cusco

$88 12.9% 22.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Merced

$110 19.6%

Cusco

$86 12.7% 21.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

La Merced

$14 * 2.6%

Cusco

$37 5.4% 158% $23

Getting Around

La Merced

$14 * 2.5%

Cusco

$12 * 1.8% 11.5% $1.6

Accommodation & Living

La Merced

- * 0%

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35 in La Merced vs $20 in Cusco. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $186, with La Merced cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 La Merced

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

Same time as La Merced

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

428,450

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Merced Cusco 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

La Merced
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

La Merced vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Merced is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $837 in La Merced and $1,024 in Cusco 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $20 versus $35 in La Merced. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $558 per month in La Merced versus $683 in Cusco – La Merced is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though La Merced 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.