Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $688 in Cusco.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Cusco $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $1,096 in Cusco.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Cusco $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $1,505 in Cusco.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Cusco $1,505

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 444% more expensive than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 179% above, Cusco is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$1.99 PEN 6.85

1134.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$20.55 PEN 70.7

383.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$6.70 PEN 23.04

128.36%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$2.11 PEN 7.24

213.74%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$0.78 PEN 2.69

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.33 PEN 1.13

842.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$1.72 PEN 5.92

351.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$4.33 PEN 14.90

83.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.24 PEN 4.27

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.32 PEN 7.97

112.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$1.29 PEN 4.43

378.29%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.63 PEN 12.48

36.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$4.69 PEN 16.14

305.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$4.43 PEN 15.24

321.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$7.37 PEN 25.35

213.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.55 PEN 8.78

132.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.77 PEN 2.63

151.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$1.47 PEN 5.04

253.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$0.85 PEN 2.94

670.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.02 PEN 3.52

254.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.10 PEN 3.80

187.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.49 PEN 1.67

493.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.75 PEN 2.58

217.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$5.93 PEN 20.41

153.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.85 PEN 6.38

132.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$4.12 PEN 14.16

38.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.30 PEN 1.04

916.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.72 PEN 5.91

53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.93 PEN 6.65

-9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$2.82 PEN 9.69

964.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 PEN 5.42

-7.01%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

-11.25%

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

$299 $299

$29.31 PEN 101

921.56%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$14.31 PEN 49.22

386.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$44.13 PEN 152

104.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$28.51 PEN 98.1

180.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$4.26 PEN 14.64

306.81%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$37.39 PEN 129

107.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$33.43 PEN 115

64.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$54.4 PEN 187

131.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$72.2 PEN 248

128.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$218 PEN 748

1006.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$191 PEN 657

928.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$538 PEN 1,849

790.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$416 PEN 1,431

756.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

128.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,823 PEN 6,270

174.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$433 PEN 1,490

1349.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Cusco

$191 27.8% 90.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Cusco

$187 27.2% 65.5% $354

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Cusco

$88 12.8% 80.9% $372

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Cusco

$83 12.1% 79.3% $319

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 53.4% $102

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Cusco

$13 * 1.8% 90.5% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Cusco

$37 5.4% 67.7% $78

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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $218 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 1350% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $21.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $187 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

01:20 1:20 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

428,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

PEN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Cusco 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 444% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1350% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $218 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Seattle, WA. 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 444% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.