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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $747 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,171 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,596 in Cusco.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than Cusco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Cusco is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.81 PEN 9.56

466.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$27.73 PEN 94.3

133.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.64 PEN 19.20

86.35%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.02 PEN 6.86

42.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.23 PEN 4.17

82.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.74 PEN 2.50

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.19 PEN 7.44

59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.23 PEN 14.39

-8.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.46 PEN 4.95

-21.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.01 PEN 10.24

-41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.33 PEN 4.53

32.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.87 PEN 13.15

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.76 PEN 16.20

183.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.89 PEN 16.62

61.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.88 PEN 23.41

130.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.37 PEN 8.06

-2.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.72 PEN 2.45

136.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.27 PEN 4.32

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.90 PEN 3.05

173.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.00 PEN 3.39

84.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.96 PEN 3.26

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.70 PEN 2.37

175.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.68 PEN 2.31

16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.83 PEN 16.42

36.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.86 PEN 19.93

-2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.98 PEN 6.74

-30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.06 PEN 10.42

-2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.27 PEN 0.91

777.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.69 PEN 5.74

153.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.79 PEN 9.49

555.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.51 PEN 5.13

36.42%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$18.8K PEN 63.9K

82.43%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.1K PEN 75.2K

77.72%

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

$148 €127

$33.09 PEN 113

346.87%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$14.07 PEN 47.86

45.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$30.14 PEN 103

31.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$30.93 PEN 105

54.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.76 PEN 16.19

92.86%

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

$614 €528

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$36.52 PEN 124

186.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$28.63 PEN 97.4

46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$61.6 PEN 210

52.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.4 PEN 239

70.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$304 PEN 1,033

436.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$250 PEN 850

402.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$582 PEN 1,979

421.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$410 PEN 1,395

392.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,889 PEN 13.2K

100.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,754 PEN 5,968

143.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$432 PEN 1,471

270.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-65.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cusco: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $304 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 271% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $194 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 196% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 271% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $304 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $28.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Cusco versus $2,210 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 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.