Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $690 a month against $865 in Trujillo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
Learn more

Trujillo Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index

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Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$865

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $865 in Trujillo versus $690 in Cusco.

Trujillo $865
Cusco $690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,339 in Trujillo versus $1,105 in Cusco.

Trujillo $1,339
Cusco $1,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,813 in Trujillo versus $1,519 in Cusco.

Trujillo $1,813
Cusco $1,519

Living in Trujillo is roughly 25% more expensive than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Trujillo 36% lower, Cusco 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.93

$2.01 PEN 6.94

72.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.58 PEN 81.3

$20.14 PEN 69.4

17.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 PEN 24.82

$6.38 PEN 21.98

12.85%

Cappuccino

$3.24 PEN 11.17

$2.17 PEN 7.47

49.31%

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

$0.97 PEN 3.33

$0.74 PEN 2.54

31.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.25

$0.33 PEN 1.12

96.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 PEN 7.10

$1.79 PEN 6.17

15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 PEN 11.94

$4.29 PEN 14.79

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.75

$1.29 PEN 4.46

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 PEN 7.01

$2.33 PEN 8.02

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.94

$1.28 PEN 4.40

-10.94%

Eggs

$3.97 PEN 13.69

$3.51 PEN 12.10

13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 PEN 26.66

$4.91 PEN 16.92

57.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PEN 22.86

$4.39 PEN 15.12

51.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 PEN 31.72

$7.41 PEN 25.55

24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 PEN 5.74

$2.67 PEN 9.22

-37.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$0.77 PEN 2.65

-25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.95

$1.47 PEN 5.06

-61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$0.91 PEN 3.12

-8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.21

$1.00 PEN 3.44

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 4.05

$1.06 PEN 3.65

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 PEN 4.28

$0.53 PEN 1.83

133.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$0.74 PEN 2.55

52.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 PEN 15.38

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 PEN 20.04

$5.68 PEN 19.57

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$1.86 PEN 6.43

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 PEN 5.63

$4.17 PEN 14.37

-60.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.91

$0.28 PEN 0.95

96.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.35 PEN 59.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 PEN 8.34

$1.76 PEN 6.05

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 PEN 7.39

$1.92 PEN 6.61

11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 PEN 20.49

$2.88 PEN 9.91

106.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 PEN 5.76

$1.56 PEN 5.37

7.05%

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

$17.2K PEN 59.4K

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

$27.9K PEN 96.3K

$28.5K PEN 98.1K

-1.87%

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

$98.2 PEN 338

$29.26 PEN 101

235.54%

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

$13.20 PEN 45.50

$14.44 PEN 49.79

-8.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.11 PEN 93.4

$43.40 PEN 150

-37.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.89 PEN 134

$29.55 PEN 102

31.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.73 PEN 19.77

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 PEN 14.88

$4.43 PEN 15.28

-2.48%

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

$108 PEN 374

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,063 PEN 7,113

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 PEN 251

$37.57 PEN 130

93.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.34 PEN 49.42

$33.55 PEN 116

-57.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.05 PEN 162

$53.9 PEN 186

-12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.87 PEN 148

$73.3 PEN 253

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 PEN 1,297

$218 PEN 753

72.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 PEN 866

$192 PEN 663

30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 PEN 2,531

$535 PEN 1,844

37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 PEN 1,763

$426 PEN 1,468

20.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,142 PEN 3,936

$3,237 PEN 11.2K

-64.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 PEN 6,488

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$558 PEN 1,923

$430 PEN 1,482

29.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

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

Last update for Trujillo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cusco: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trujillo

$251 29%

Cusco

$192 27.9% 23.4% $59

Groceries & Markets

Trujillo

$204 23.6%

Cusco

$188 27.2% 7.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trujillo

$138 16%

Cusco

$87 12.6% 37.1% $51

Eating Out

Trujillo

$112 12.9%

Cusco

$83 12% 25.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Trujillo

$80 9.2%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 12% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Trujillo

$48 5.5%

Cusco

$38 5.6% 19.2% $9.1

Getting Around

Trujillo

$33 3.8%

Cusco

$12 * 1.8% 61.9% $20

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 $376 in Trujillo and $218 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Trujillo vs $20 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $188 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Trujillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,939

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

Trujillo Cusco 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Trujillo
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

Trujillo vs Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Trujillo, 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: $376 in Trujillo versus $218 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Trujillo. 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 $20 versus $24 in Trujillo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cusco gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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