The Cost of Traveling in Peru

Many people view Peru as a once-in-a-lifetime luxury destination, but it’s much more affordable than you think. I found the country to have options for every budget and I kept copious notes about my spending habits to share them with you.

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How Much to Save in Advance

Apart from my flight, I didn’t set a certain amount to save in advance. I was only gone for two weeks and was still working during this time, so I didn’t have to do as much on the front end as I had for my Southeast Asia and Australia trips. I probably had around $2,500 in my bank account for the trip but didn’t need much once I arrived. I spent on average 200-300 soles per day, around $90 USD. As of publishing, 1 USD is around 3.3 Peruvian soles.

Very little actually has to be booked in advance, but if you plan on the Inca Trail, you’ll certainly have to pay for that six or more months ahead of time. I’ll discuss more on that later, but at least have a number in mind if you know what tours you can’t miss.

Most countries don’t require a visa for Peru, so that’s one less cost, but some have airport fees. Also keep in mind that some towns, especially Huacachina, do not have ATMs so get the cash you’ll need in advance. I found the cost to be about the same in terms of changing over American dollars when I arrived and taking out of ATMs.

Accommodation

There’s a wide range in prices for accommodation in Peru so all budgets can find a place to stay. You can find both luxurious resorts and chains like the JW Marriott in Cusco and the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu. But on the other end of the spectrum are budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses. Homestays are another option as are rentals like Airbnb.

I stayed not in the most basic hostels, but one a step above, which cost no more than 55 soles per night ($15). I received a few discounts through traveling with PeruHop and also for being a repeat customer of Kokopelli.

For most of the year, booking in advance isn’t really necessary. Apart from my first couple of nights in Cusco, I didn’t book much ahead of time, usually emailing the hotel or hostel a few days beforehand. The only place where it was a problem was Huacachina, where options are few. I usually found where I wanted to stay on Hostelworld or through the PeruHop website.

Accommodations often include breakfast, which usually consists of bread and fruit as well as tea and coffee. Most also have free WiFi, but I found that few had kitchens, so instead rely on affordable street food and restaurants.

Eating and Drinking

Speaking of food, it’s pretty affordable to eat in Peru as long as you’re eating Peruvian. International restaurants like the Italian dinner I had one night in Cusco cost much more. Cafes averaged around 30 soles and nice restaurants were around 60. My cheapest meal was the two tamales I bought in front of one of the main squares for around 20 cents. Street food is by far the most affordable, especially visiting local markets.

I was pleased to see that coffee cost around 5 soles, about $1.50, and it was delicious. Craft beer was 20 soles ($6), but non-craft beer like Cusquena was 14 sol ($4). Cocktails like the famous pisco sour was 30, but liquor can be found cheaper throughout the country.

Tours and Activities

Apart from flights, the tours and activities are what tend to set you back the most. You absolutely must book your Inca Trail trip at least six months in advance if you want to do that because there are a limited number of passes offered. The full trail costs around $1,000. I spent $550 plus $25 gear rental on my shortened tour.

I went on a free walking tour of Cusco but still tipped 60 soles. I also went on a Sacred Valley day trip from Cusco, which cost 100 soles but included most entry fees into the sites we visited as well as lunch. Also in Cusco, I visited the archaeological museum, but since it was under construction, they were allowing free entry. A few places around town charged entry fees, mostly churches, around 15-20 soles.

Once arriving in Lake Titicaca, I spent $20 USD on a full day tour, booked through PeruHop, but there were likely cheaper options. Same for the $84 flight above the Nazca Lines. It cost me 40 soles to explore Arequipa‘s stunning monastery and 50 soles for an afternoon sandboarding and riding a dune buggy in Huacachina. I also paid 25 soles to visit the MATE Museum in Lima. I didn’t make it to the Amazon, but that’s another tour that can be booked in advance.

Transportation

I found my flight to Peru on Scott’s Cheap Flights (big fan!) for around $400 and while I had to add in a $200 change fee, this is much cheaper than the average cost. I flew on JetBlue. If you know you want to go to Peru at a certain time, I recommend setting a Google Flights alert.

This will be the biggest cost for your trip. I also paid for an internal flight from Lima to Cusco to avoid an overnight and all day bus journey. I flew with Star Peru for only $97, but Avianca, LATAM, and Peruvian are a few others. I paid 25 soles for an airport transfer in Cusco and about the same for the airport bus in Lima.

But within Peru, I mostly traveled by bus. I looked into local transportation but decided that the hop on hop off bus PeruHop would be a better fit for me as a solo traveler. Not only did it allow me to meet fellow travelers, but they dropped off exactly where I wanted to see and some guides even walked me to my door.

My pass cost $175 USD but was one of many options. They also run into Bolivia if you’re traveling to other South American countries. From Cusco to Puno, I took the Inka Express bus, which cost $53, but there are cheaper options.

This included tours at various points throughout the country, including the “Sistine Chapel of South America,” and meals. Alternatively, there are cheaper public buses of varying styles, but Cruz del Sur and MovilTours are a few options. Read this article from World Nomads for more on Peru transportation.

Within the cities, there are different public transportation services. In Cusco and Lima, it’s shared minibuses while in Puno, you can get to various islands via water taxis. PeruRail offers train rides to a few major destinations, especially Machu Picchu. I didn’t do any border crossings, but I’ve linked to a few posts about crossings with Ecuador and Bolivia.

Internet, Shopping, and Etc.

The Internet is fairly easy to find in Peru, especially at hotels and hostels. Cafes also have them if you need to quickly look up something, but I wouldn’t recommend it for downloading anything. Sim cards can be purchased to use your phone overseas.

Claro and Movistar are two of the popular brands. When you’re looking for souvenirs, the markets are the best places to go. You can find everything from fresh produce to prepared foods to souvenirs to religious artifacts.

Healthcare

Because of the adventurous activities found in Peru, whether you’re boating in the Amazon, hiking the Inca Trail, or sandboarding in Huacachina, it is IMPERATIVE that you purchase travel insurance. For example, Dave of The Planet D broke his back in the remote Peruvian Amazon a few years back, which required him to be airlifted home.

In my Inca Trail group, one of the girls got food poisoning the night before and had to cancel the trip and one of her friends stayed behind with her. Both had to forfeit their train tickets but were allowed to rebook a later tour. I spent $126 on a policy for two weeks with World Nomads, which I highly recommend.

With that said, pharmacies are easy to come by and you can typically pick up Diamox and other medicines here. I thankfully didn’t need to purchase anything on this trip as I’d brought everything I needed from home. Give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the altitude in Cusco before traveling elsewhere.

Related Reading

• Money Matters: How Much Money Do You Need For 2 Months Backpacking In South America?, Bunch of Backpackers
• How to Plan a Trip to Peru, Wherever Writer
• Two Weeks in Peru on a Budget, The Traveling Teacher
• My Peru Budget, Flight of an Educator