Peru is one of the best places I’ve ever been (and that’s saying something). I loved every moment (this blog post goes into more detail why). Besides being stunning, it’s also a very affordable destination (provided you limit yourself to Lima’s fine dining and guided hiking).
If you’re heading to Peru and wondering how much you’ll need to spend, look no further. In this post, I’ll break down how much I spent, where I went wrong, typical prices, and how you can save money.
How much did you spend?
During my sixteen days in Peru, I went to Lima, Arequipa, Cusco and walked around the Sacred Valley. You spent $4,992.63 or $312 per day. This is broken down as follows (in US dollars):
- stay: $1,246.51
- food: $795.96
- How-to tips: $45.90
- Tours/Activities: $162
- communications: $80.96
- Private tours (see below): $1,770
- Domestic flights: $480.06
- Travel insurance: $73.92
- Lime: $337.32
Now, I’m spent a lot More than you do at the same time. This is for several reasons:
Firstly, Lima is one of the gastronomic centers with some of the best restaurants in the world. I ended up eating at more than a few of these places which drove up my food costs.
Secondly, I took private tours during my guided walking trips in Cusco for work reasons which increased my costs (you are unlikely to pay for private guides when traveling). Without these tours, my costs would have been $200 per day!
Third, given the limited time I had in the country and the ground I needed to cover, I also traveled by plane between most destinations rather than taking long overnight bus rides. Moreover, because, again, I had to switch some flights last minute for work, I had to pay a change fee.
Finally, I splurged on a really fancy hotel in Cusco for two nights, which actually accounted for 50% of the cost of my stay. Yolo!
So, how much will you, as an average traveler, need to budget if you want to visit Peru? Well, not as much as me, that’s for sure! Here are some of the most reasonable proposed budgets for Peru:
Backpacker budget
If you want to travel to Peru, I would plan on $50-80 USD per day (185-300 pesos). On this budget, you’ll stay in hostels, eat at traditional restaurants and cafes, limit your drinking, take public transportation and night buses, and do some paid activities and tours. If you’re going to be partying a lot, you’ll be at the higher end of this range.
Medium-term budget
If you want to basically follow what I did (minus the private tours), you’ll need US$150-200 per day (PEN 560-750). This will provide you with private rooms in hostels or two- or three-star hotels, some of the upscale meals that the country is famous for, all the drinks you could want, flights within the country, and any tours and activities your heart desires.
From there, you can add or subtract $30-$50 per day depending on whether you’re staying at name-brand hotels (or not), taking flights within the country (or not), or partying a lot (or not).
You can use the price list below to help determine your own budget.
Typical prices
How much do things cost in Peru? Below are some typical prices (listed in Peruvian soles, abbreviated PEN). The higher numbers are what you’ll pay at higher-rated restaurants (and sometimes more). Most other places in Peru are towards the lower end.
- Hostel accommodation: 40-100 bin per night
- Private room at the hostel: 100-250 bin per night
- Budget hotel: 110-300 bin per night
- International chain hotel: +375 pesos per night
- Appetizers: 20-30 pen
- Ceviche: 40-60 pen
- Main course dishes: 40-60 pen
- Koi (guinea pig, delicacy): 55 pen
- Burgers: 20-28 pen
- Sandwiches: 12-15 pen
- Fast food groups: 15-20 pen
- Pizza: 25-60 pen
- sweet: 20-40 pen
- water (At the restaurant): 4-10 bin
- Soda: 4-7 pen
- coffee: 5-10 pen
- iced coffee: 13-15 pen
- tea: 5-12 pen
- beer: 15 pen
- vintage: 29-45 pen
- Cocktails: 25 pen
- Entering the museum: 10-20 pen
- Uber: 10-20 pen
- Taxis: 15-30 pen
- Trips within the country: 150-300 pen
- Tour/guided tour of Machu Picchu: 3,000-6,000 bin
Budget saving tips
It is very easy to avoid spending too much money in Peru. Your biggest expenses will be accommodation, domestic flights, multi-day guided tours, and fine dining. If you limit any part of that, you’ll be fine because public transportation is inexpensive, Ubers are super cheap, and Peruvian restaurants are really affordable.
Here’s what you can do to cut your costs and save money in Peru without limiting your experiences:
Bring a water bottle – Tap water here is not drinkable, so bring a reusable water bottle with a filter to save money and reduce plastic use. LiveStraw My favorite brand, their bottles have built-in filters to ensure the water is always clean and safe.
Travel in the off-season The cheapest times to visit Peru are the months of January through April or November and December, as prices are usually lower during these months.
Take Collective – These are inexpensive shared minibuses and the journey costs around £10. They leave when full, and are a low-cost way to get from city to nearby city (think within a two-hour range).
Use Uber – Uber is available in all major cities in the country and is really cheap. You’ll never pay more than a few dollars per ride, and they’re often cheaper than taxis.
Book tours last minute -If you’re looking to do the Inca Trail and have a little extra time to wait for a deal, showing up in Cusco and booking a last-minute tour can save you a lot of money. (But I don’t recommend this if you don’t have the time as you may have to wait days for a place to open.)
Go on a free walking tour – This is a great way to learn about the history of the places you see and avoid missing any must-see stops. Free walking tour of Peru It has really good deals tours in all the major cities.
Get discounts for students – If you are a student, be sure to carry your student card with you to get great discounts (up to 50%) at archaeological sites and museums in Cusco and the surrounding area.
Limit your intake of good food – Peru is one of the gastronomic centers of the world, with some of the best restaurants in the world located here (in fact, the number one restaurant in the world, Central, is located here). Eating out at a restaurant is often on people’s to-do list. But meals usually cost US$100 or more (£375), so avoid this if you want to save money.
Book LATAM flights using the New Zealand website – LATAM’s prices are cheaper if you use the New Zealand version of their website (instead of the US site). It’s the luck of the system. Even if you are not a resident of New Zealand, you can book through the site without any problems.
Take the Peruvian Hop – Peru Hop It is a bus for backpackers that travels on specific routes throughout the country. These also include a lot of activities and the guides are great. Plus, unlike most regular buses, they run on time and offer free Wi-Fi. A lot of locals take it too, because it’s really good value.
Hit the happy hours – In all major destinations, you can find two-for-one happy hours as well as special offers on food and other discounts. Check with your hostel, hotel, or Google for the latest information on places currently offering specials.
Peru can meet any budget. It has some of the world’s most beautiful restaurants, luxury spas, private guided hikes, and upscale jungle lodges that can blow your budget. But there’s also amazing local transportation, affordable hotels and restaurants, and inexpensive group tours. We hope this post helps you make the most of your visit, wherever your budget falls within that range.
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Book your trip to Peru: logistical tips and tricks
Book your flight
is used Sky Scanner To find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines all over the world, so you always know that no stone has been left unturned.
Book your stay
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld Because they have the largest inventory and the best offers. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com Because they constantly offer the cheapest prices for cheap guest houses and hotels.
Don’t forget travel insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft and cancellation. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it because I’ve had to use it several times in the past. Our favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Are you looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resources page for the best companies to use when traveling. I list everything I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when traveling too.
Want more information about Peru?
Be sure to visit my powerful Peru destination guide for more planning tips!