Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pucallpa and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $502 a month against $683 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index

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Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$502

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Pucallpa versus $683 in Cusco.

Pucallpa $502
Cusco $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Pucallpa versus $1,092 in Cusco.

Pucallpa $826
Cusco $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,149 in Pucallpa versus $1,502 in Cusco.

Pucallpa $1,149
Cusco $1,502

Living in Pucallpa costs roughly 26% less than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pucallpa 63% lower, Cusco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 PEN 7.92

$2.07 PEN 7.14

11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.70 PEN 40.31

$19.81 PEN 68.3

-40.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 PEN 18.34

$6.34 PEN 21.86

-16.09%

Cappuccino

$1.99 PEN 6.87

$2.14 PEN 7.36

-7.01%

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

$1.03 PEN 3.56

$0.79 PEN 2.71

30.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.35 PEN 1.22

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PEN 6.15

$1.78 PEN 6.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 PEN 7.90

$4.30 PEN 14.83

-46.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 PEN 3.62

$1.27 PEN 4.36

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 PEN 12.24

$2.29 PEN 7.89

55.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$1.32 PEN 4.55

-14.39%

Eggs

$1.71 PEN 5.89

$3.67 PEN 12.66

-53.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.06 PEN 7.11

$4.77 PEN 16.45

-56.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 PEN 13.75

$4.38 PEN 15.10

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.42 PEN 11.78

$7.01 PEN 24.15

-51.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 PEN 7.81

$2.57 PEN 8.86

-11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 PEN 4.94

$0.82 PEN 2.84

74.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.14

$1.46 PEN 5.03

2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 PEN 8.94

$0.89 PEN 3.06

192.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 PEN 10.11

$0.98 PEN 3.38

198.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.83

$1.11 PEN 3.83

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 PEN 7.82

$0.48 PEN 1.64

372.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$0.74 PEN 2.55

39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 PEN 15.90

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 PEN 26.41

$5.82 PEN 20.05

31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 PEN 8.03

$1.84 PEN 6.35

26.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PEN 12.28

$4.12 PEN 14.18

-13.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 PEN 3.91

$0.30 PEN 1.05

280.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 PEN 4.95

$1.69 PEN 5.82

-14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 PEN 1.94

$1.86 PEN 6.40

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PEN 9.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 PEN 4.36

$1.51 PEN 5.19

-15.89%

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

$29.1K PEN 100.2K

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

$51.2 PEN 176

$28.92 PEN 99.7

77.04%

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

$34.95 PEN 120

$14.18 PEN 48.87

146.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.29 PEN 153

$43.31 PEN 149

2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.36 PEN 97.7

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 PEN 14.60

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 PEN 181

$37.61 PEN 130

39.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 PEN 119

$32.57 PEN 112

6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.53 PEN 119

$54.1 PEN 187

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 PEN 233

$70.9 PEN 244

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 PEN 393

$219 PEN 756

-48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PEN 656

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 PEN 807

$531 PEN 1,829

-55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 PEN 428

$422 PEN 1,454

-70.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 PEN 11.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 PEN 6,307

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$407 PEN 1,403

$419 PEN 1,444

-2.83%

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

Last update for Pucallpa: 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

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$190 27.9%

Groceries & Markets

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$186 27.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$88 12.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$86 12.7%

Eating Out

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$83 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Pucallpa

–

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Getting Around

Pucallpa

–

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 $114 in Pucallpa and $219 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cusco pays 3% 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: $12 in Pucallpa vs $20 in Cusco. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $186, with Cusco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Pucallpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,040

428,450

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pucallpa Cusco 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pucallpa
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

Pucallpa vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Pucallpa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $114 in Pucallpa versus $219 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cusco pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $20 in Cusco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Pucallpa 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.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Cusco on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.