Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Piura versus $744 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,028 in Piura versus $1,145 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Piura versus $1,546 in Cusco.

Living in Piura costs roughly 18% less than in Cusco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piura 54% lower, Cusco 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 PEN 9.71

$2.77 PEN 9.53

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.01 PEN 37.86

$27.60 PEN 95.0

-60.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PEN 18.82

$5.53 PEN 19.01

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$3.36 PEN 11.55

$1.99 PEN 6.84

68.84%

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

$1.63 PEN 5.60

$1.21 PEN 4.17

34.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 PEN 1.81

$0.75 PEN 2.57

-29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 PEN 7.60

$2.28 PEN 7.85

-3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 PEN 9.75

$4.06 PEN 13.97

-30.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 PEN 3.87

$1.48 PEN 5.11

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 PEN 10.80

$2.92 PEN 10.06

7.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

$1.27 PEN 4.37

11.02%

Eggs

$2.11 PEN 7.26

$3.79 PEN 13.03

-44.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 PEN 28.48

$4.58 PEN 15.77

80.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 PEN 24.21

$4.99 PEN 17.17

41.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 PEN 32.32

$7.01 PEN 24.11

33.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.66

$2.48 PEN 8.54

-45.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.80

$0.77 PEN 2.65

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$1.31 PEN 4.51

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.93

$0.90 PEN 3.09

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.37

$1.04 PEN 3.58

22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.97

$1.02 PEN 3.49

-44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 PEN 1.97

$0.66 PEN 2.28

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 PEN 2.77

$0.70 PEN 2.40

15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 PEN 28.09

$4.73 PEN 16.26

72.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 PEN 37.99

$6.54 PEN 22.49

68.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 PEN 6.30

$1.99 PEN 6.85

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 PEN 9.73

$3.20 PEN 10.99

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 PEN 1.39

$0.27 PEN 0.92

51.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PEN 5.68

$1.63 PEN 5.61

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 PEN 5.53

$1.58 PEN 5.43

1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 PEN 18.92

$2.75 PEN 9.46

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 PEN 4.82

$1.50 PEN 5.18

-6.67%

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

$18.4K PEN 63.4K

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

$21.7K PEN 74.7K

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

$39.62 PEN 136

$33.27 PEN 114

19.09%

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

$8.40 PEN 28.89

$14.06 PEN 48.36

-40.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.18 PEN 104

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.66 PEN 95.1

$30.82 PEN 106

-10.25%

Cinema Ticket

$2.27 PEN 7.79

$4.77 PEN 16.40

-52.41%

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

$188 PEN 645

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,219 PEN 7,634

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.46 PEN 146

$35.80 PEN 123

18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.62 PEN 43.40

$29.05 PEN 99.9

-56.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 PEN 191

$62.8 PEN 216

-11.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 PEN 238

$70.8 PEN 244

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$138 PEN 476

$310 PEN 1,068

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PEN 434

$247 PEN 848

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 PEN 1,149

$578 PEN 1,990

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,327

$412 PEN 1,417

-6.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,692 PEN 12.7K

$3,949 PEN 13.6K

-6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,832 PEN 6,303

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$483 PEN 1,662

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Piura: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cusco: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $138 in Piura and $310 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11 in Piura vs $28 in Cusco. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $196, with Cusco cheaper for home cooking.

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

Piura vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piura is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $920 in Piura and $1,116 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $138 in Piura versus $310 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cusco pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Piura – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $28.00 in Cusco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piura gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Piura is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cusco, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Piura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cusco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.