Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacna and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $439 a month against $690 in Cusco, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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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Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$439

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $439 in Tacna versus $690 in Cusco.

Tacna $439
Cusco $690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $629 in Tacna versus $1,105 in Cusco.

Tacna $629
Cusco $1,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $819 in Tacna versus $1,519 in Cusco.

Tacna $819
Cusco $1,519

Living in Tacna costs roughly 36% less than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tacna 68% lower, Cusco 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 PEN 9.83

$2.01 PEN 6.94

41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.63 PEN 50.4

$20.14 PEN 69.4

-27.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 PEN 17.33

$6.38 PEN 21.98

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$3.41 PEN 11.76

$2.17 PEN 7.47

57.14%

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

$1.18 PEN 4.07

$0.74 PEN 2.54

59.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 PEN 1.47

$0.33 PEN 1.12

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 PEN 10.24

$1.79 PEN 6.17

65.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 12.03

$4.29 PEN 14.79

-18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 PEN 4.10

$1.29 PEN 4.46

-7.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 PEN 4.90

$2.33 PEN 8.02

-39.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.28 PEN 4.40

-31.25%

Eggs

$1.77 PEN 6.10

$3.51 PEN 12.10

-49.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 PEN 15.36

$4.91 PEN 16.92

-9.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 PEN 16.24

$4.39 PEN 15.12

7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 PEN 29.23

$7.41 PEN 25.55

14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 PEN 9.22

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.07

$0.77 PEN 2.65

90.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.96

$1.47 PEN 5.06

-41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.12

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 PEN 2.46

$1.00 PEN 3.44

-29.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.45

$0.74 PEN 2.55

-4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 PEN 14.61

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 PEN 22.44

$5.68 PEN 19.57

14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$1.86 PEN 6.43

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 PEN 14.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$0.28 PEN 0.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 PEN 6.66

$1.76 PEN 6.05

9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 PEN 6.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 PEN 9.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 PEN 5.37

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

$28.5K PEN 98.1K

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

$29.26 PEN 101

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

$19.21 PEN 66.2

$14.44 PEN 49.79

33.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 PEN 88.8

$43.40 PEN 150

-40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 PEN 103

$29.55 PEN 102

0.78%

Cinema Ticket

$2.63 PEN 9.08

$4.43 PEN 15.28

-40.63%

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

$57.1 PEN 197

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.68 PEN 71.3

$37.57 PEN 130

-44.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.44 PEN 70.5

$33.55 PEN 116

-39.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 PEN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.31 PEN 90.7

$73.3 PEN 253

-64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 753

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$71.0 PEN 245

$192 PEN 663

-63.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 PEN 1,844

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 PEN 1,468

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,237 PEN 11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 PEN 6,488

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$457 PEN 1,574

$430 PEN 1,482

6.17%

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

Last update for Tacna: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cusco: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacna

–

Cusco

$192 27.9%

Groceries & Markets

Tacna

–

Cusco

$188 27.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Tacna

–

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacna

–

Cusco

$87 12.6%

Eating Out

Tacna

–

Cusco

$83 12%

Sport & Entertainment

Tacna

–

Cusco

$38 5.6%

Getting Around

Tacna

–

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Tacna pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15 in Tacna vs $20 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $188 per month, with Tacna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Tacna

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Tacna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,972

428,450

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacna Cusco 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tacna
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

Tacna vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacna is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Tacna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Cusco. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacna – a meal for two runs $15 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 Tacna 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.