Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $692 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,400 in Cusco.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 228% more expensive than in Cusco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Cusco is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.60 PEN 8.73

575.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$21.14 PEN 70.9

205.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.59 PEN 22.08

76.78%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.24 PEN 7.50

45.54%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.75 PEN 2.51

232.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.34 PEN 1.13

391.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.12 PEN 7.11

63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.39 PEN 14.70

-18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.29 PEN 4.34

-8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.36 PEN 7.90

-17.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.36 PEN 4.55

14.71%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.71 PEN 12.45

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.01 PEN 16.81

164.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.52 PEN 15.14

86.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.49 PEN 25.11

143.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.62 PEN 8.77

-11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.85 PEN 2.86

103.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.45 PEN 4.86

33.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.91 PEN 3.04

190.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.06 PEN 3.56

79.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.11 PEN 3.70

90.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.50 PEN 1.67

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.78 PEN 2.63

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.82 PEN 19.50

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.91 PEN 6.39

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.41 PEN 14.78

-51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.31 PEN 1.05

667.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.75 PEN 5.87

139.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.97 PEN 6.61

-44.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.04 PEN 10.18

467.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.55 PEN 5.20

45.16%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

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

$41.6K €35.9K

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

$171 €147

$29.68 PEN 99.5

475.74%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$14.70 PEN 49.29

29.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$45.60 PEN 153

-24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$35.58 PEN 119

39.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.38 PEN 14.69

130.59%

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

$699 €603

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$39.30 PEN 132

166.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$34.46 PEN 116

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$55.4 PEN 186

83.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$73.4 PEN 246

74.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$149 PEN 501

1011.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$177 PEN 592

595.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$358 PEN 1,199

714.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$271 PEN 910

645.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,931 PEN 13.2K

106.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,777 PEN 5,958

160.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$447 PEN 1,497

262.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Cusco: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $149 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 263% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $192 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 263% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $149 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. 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 $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Cusco versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cusco are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.