Peru captivates travelers with its ancient Incan heritage, including the iconic Machu Picchu, diverse landscapes from Amazon rainforest to Andean peaks, and vibrant culinary scene. This South American gem offers world-class hiking, rich indigenous cultures, and colonial architecture in cities like Cusco and Lima.
Local currency: Peruvian Sol (PEN, symbol S/).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Peru.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- S/15-30 ($4-8) dorm
- Budget
- S/60-120 ($16-33) private room
- Midrange
- S/150-350 ($40-95) comfortable hotel
- Luxury
- S/500-1,500+ ($135-405) 5-star
Food
- Street
- S/5-12 ($1.50-3) street food or market
- Local
- S/20-35 ($5-10) menu del día
- Midrange
- S/50-120 ($14-33) restaurant
- Fine
- S/200-600+ ($55-165) fine dining
Transport
- Bus
- S/1-2.50 ($0.30-0.70) local city bus
- Taxi
- S/10-25 ($3-7) short city taxi
- Airport
- S/23-80 ($6-22) Lima airport to Miraflores
- Daytrip
- S/15-50 ($4-14) collectivo day trip
Activities
- Museum
- S/15-40 ($4-11) average museum entry
- Sites
- S/50-180 ($14-49) Machu Picchu entry
- Tour
- S/100-250 ($27-68) guided half-day tour
- Excursion
- S/200-400 ($55-110) full-day excursion
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Peru costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
S/800-1,100/week ($210-300) covering hostel dorm, market meals, public transport, and free sights
Midrange traveller
S/2,200-3,600/week ($600-980) covering comfortable hotels, restaurant dining, guided tours including Machu Picchu
Luxury traveller
S/6,000-15,000+/week ($1,630-4,000+) covering 5-star hotels, fine dining, private guides, helicopter tours
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Eat lunch at local restaurants offering menu del día (3-course set lunch) for S/10-20 ($3-6) — the same food costs 3x more for dinner at tourist restaurants
Book Machu Picchu tickets directly at the official government site to avoid markup from resellers
Use Uber or InDrive in Lima — consistently 30-40% cheaper than street taxis with no haggling needed
Buy a Boleto Turistico Cusco (S/130-180) covering 16 sites including Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo
Fly Lima-Cusco instead of taking the bus — time saved and comparable price when booked 4-6 weeks ahead
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Miraflores Malecón Promenade
Walk the 4km clifftop promenade above Lima's Pacific coast with ocean views, manicured gardens, sculptures, and paragliders launching from the cliffs. Parque del Amor along the way is particularly scenic.
Lima Historic Center
Explore Plaza Mayor with its baroque cathedral and colonial government palace, walk to San Francisco Monastery (free exterior, paid catacombs), and admire colonial architecture across Lima's UNESCO-listed historic center.
Barranco Art Walk
Wander Barranco's street art, the Bridge of Sighs (Puente de los Suspiros), and Bajada de Baños with free outdoor galleries and murals by Peru's leading contemporary artists.
Cusco Plaza de Armas
Sit in Cusco's magnificent main square surrounded by the baroque cathedral (exterior free), Jesuit church La Compañía, and colonial arcades. Free to enjoy and photograph the most beautiful plaza in South America.
Sacsayhuamán Outer Walls
The outer walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress are visible and photographable for free from the road above Cusco. The massive limestone blocks weighing up to 300 tonnes are impressive from outside the ticketed entrance.
San Blas Neighborhood Cusco
Explore Cusco's bohemian craft quarter with narrow cobblestone streets, artisan workshops, rooftop terraces with city views, and the small Plaza San Blas with its famous baroque pulpit church (free exterior).
Parque de la Exposición Lima
Lima's main public park features gardens, a small lake, outdoor sculptures, and free entry on weekdays. The adjacent Museo de Arte de Lima has free entry on Sundays.
Paracas National Reserve Viewpoints
The road through Paracas National Reserve passes free viewpoints over the Pacific and Red Beach without requiring the entrance fee for the full reserve circuit.