Living in Cusco, Peru
Cusco is a mid-sized inland city in Cuzco Department, Peru (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 12°C over the year with about 692 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,127 a month to live centrally, and Peru sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Peru is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $1,000 a month in income.
12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).
- Est. cost
- €2,127
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 12°C
- 692 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 48/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~110 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Cusco
- Self-funded residency from about $1,000 a month in income
- More affordable than 85% of the cities we compare
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Residency is realistic mainly through the Rentista (independent-means/pension) route for those with steady foreign passive income, the Inversionista (investor) route, or employer-sponsored work visas, with citizenship reachable after two years.
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Peru:
- Income: about $1,000 a month (Peru Rentista (independent-means) visa, USD 1,000/mo net permanent foreign-source passive income (plus USD 500/mo per dependent); as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $147k (Peru Inversionista visa, PEN 500,000 one-time capital in a Peruvian company (~USD 146,800 at 1 PEN = 0.2936 USD, Jun 2026); as of June 2026)
For short visits, 103 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 95 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Safety and stability
Peru scores 48 out of 100 on safety, safer than 12% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 5.7 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Peru. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Healthcare
Peru scores 55 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 15% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Peru.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,127 a month to live centrally in Cusco, 22% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 85% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Climate
Cusco averages 12°C across the year with about 692 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 16% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: Spanish. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 58 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Peru sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Cusco in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Peru runs at about 110 Mbps, faster than 44% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Cusco
Is Cusco a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Cusco scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and English. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (12°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Cusco and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Cusco?
We estimate about €2,127 a month for a couple living centrally, 22% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Cusco?
Peru is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Cusco in their results.
Can foreigners live in Peru long term?
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Residency is realistic mainly through the Rentista (independent-means/pension) route for those with steady foreign passive income, the Inversionista (investor) route, or employer-sponsored work visas, with citizenship reachable after two years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,000 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $147k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Cusco?
Cusco averages 12°C across the year with about 692 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 16% of the cities we track.
Compare Cusco with
Featured in
Cities like Cusco
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Cusco
Moving to Peru as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.