Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Bilbao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Bilbao or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Bilbao and Cusco. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Bilbao or Cusco?
Bilbao
The industrial city of Bilbao is located on a port of the Nervión River in northern Spain, an important location of Basque country. While the downtown is filled with skyscrapers and innovative architecture, it sits between a river and mountains of natural allure. A city of hard-workers to the core, Bilbao displays remnants of its industrial past, though in more recent years it has transformed into a center for art. It is now a popular location for visitors looking to experience art galleries and museums.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Spain, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Spain, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Bilbao Prices
Spain PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBilbao €170Cusco €54
The average daily cost (per person) in Bilbao is €170, while the average daily cost in Cusco is €54. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Bilbao and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBilbao €72Cusco €20
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBilbao €144Cusco €40
Compare Hotels in Bilbao and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Bilbao or Cusco? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Bilbao Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bilbao €26Cusco €8.95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bilbao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bilbao:
- Transfer from Bilbao City Center to Bilbao Airport (BIO): $35
- Bilbao Airport Private Arrival Transfer to Various Cities : $51
- Bilbao Airport (BIO) to Bilbao City - Arrival Private Transfer: $67
- Bilbao city to Bilbao Airport (BIO) - Departure Private Transfer: $67
- Departure Private Transfers: Bilbao City to Bilbao Airport BIO in Luxury Van: $69
- Bilbao Airport Transfers : Bilbao City to Bilbao Airport BIO in Luxury Car: $84
- Private Transfer from Bilbao Cruise Port to Bilbao Airport (BIO): $93
- Private Transfer from Bilbao Cruise Port to Bilbao City Hotels: $93
- Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Bilbao Airport: $95
- Private Transfer from the Airport to Vitoria city: $95
- Bilbao Airport to the Basque Country: Private Transfers: $100
- Transfer Bilbao or San Sebastian Airports to San Sebastian by Van: $114
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride€0.97
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Airport Cusco Transfers: $69
- Assistance & Transfer IN | OUT Cusco Airport: $20
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $9.18
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $15
- Cusco Airport Pickup and Private Transfer: $15
- Cusco Private Transfer to Poroy Railway Station: $15
- Cusco to Ollantaytambo: One-Way Private Transfer: $55
- Cusco || Private transfer from the airport to the hotel: $15
- Abode of the Gods ATV Tour with Transfer: $30
- Airport Transfer to Hotel: $10
- Alpaca and Llama Farm Tour w/ Transfer & Weaving Demo: $43
- Alpaca and Llama Farm Tour w/ Transfer & Weaving Demo: $34
Is it cheaper to fly into Bilbao or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Bilbao change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayBilbao €77Cusco €20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bilbao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bilbao.
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class: $88
- Bilbao Food Tour with Pintxos & Drinks with a Local: $103
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairings: $109
- Basque Food Tour and Wine Tasting with Guide: $109
- The High End Food Tour: $115
- The High End Food Tour of Bilbao with a Local: $117
- The Award-Winning Bilbao Food Tour & Wine Pairing by Basque Local: $121
- Immersive Basque Cooking Class: $129
- Paella Cooking Class with Sangria in Bilbao: $144
- Paella Cooking Class (with Basque Sangria) in Bilbao: $153
- Guggenheim Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour & Dinner: $207
- Gourmet Pintxos & Premium Wines small groups Food Tour: $211
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich€1.93
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Mango€0.48
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Small-Group Virtual Peruvian Cooking Experience: $25
- Dinner at Café del Museo Larco restaurant: $28
- Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner: $29
- Short Peruvian Cooking Class - by Pete: $30
- Folkloric Andean Show & 3-Course Dinner at Tunupa: $37
- Cusco street food tour: $39
- Cusco Cooking Class - Bilingual 6:00 7:30 pm: $40
- Cusco Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner : $49
- 3-Hour Peruvian Cooking Class: $49
- Pachapapa Restaurant Lunch or Dinner: $50
- Andean Folk Show with Dinner at Tunupa Plaza de Armas: $50
- High-Vibe Peruvian Cooking Class in Sacred Valley: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bilbao €29Cusco €26
Tours and Activities in Bilbao
Here are a few actual costs in Bilbao for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bilbao Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.70
- Vitoria-Gasteiz Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.04
- 30-Minute Entry Ticket to a Cat Café: $8.07
- Bilbao Interactive City Tour: $8.21
- Bilbao Cathedral and San Anton Church Entry Ticket: $12
- Walking Tour on the Origins of Football in Bilbao and Biscay: $12
- VITORIA DE LEGEND night tour: $12
- 1- or 2-Hour Sightseeing Boat Tour: $16
- San Mamés Museum and Stadium Tour: $19
- Bilbao Estuary and Abra Bay Boat Tour: $22
- Bilbao Walking Tour and cable car in spanish: $22
- Bilbao old town walking tour: $23
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class€2.41
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Historic/music Cusco FreeWalkingTour "free drink" Group Tour: $2.00
- Free Walking tour in Cusco : $5.00
- City Tour Photographic Experience: $7.00
- Cusco Historical Walking Tour official: $8.00
- Historical Cusco Inkas Walking City Tour: $9.00
- City Tour - Lugares destacado en Cusco + Experiencia Fotográfica: $9.60
- Free Walking Tour Cusco with an Experienced Local Guides: $10
- Around Walking Tour Cusco Historic Center: $10
- City tours Cusco: $10
- Historic Walking Tour & Scenic Views with local drink: $10
- Historic Walking Tour with Pisco Sour and Music Show: $10
- From City tour 4 ruins + Qoricancha: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBilbao €21Cusco €8.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Bilbao
Also in Bilbao, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Unique Spanish Wine Tasting with Sommelier - In Bilbao: $52
- Basque Wine Tasting with Sommelier (Bilbao): $53
- Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Mundaka, Gernika, & Wine Tour: $57
- From La Rioja Wineries Day Trip with Wine Tastings: $86
- Pintxos and Wine Tasting Tour with Local Guide: $98
- Bilbao Txakoli Wine Tour: $190
- Bilbao Txakoli Wine Tour: $194
- Guided Txacoli Wine Tasting: $202
- Boutique Rioja Wine Tour with Charming Lunch (From Bilbao): $259
- La Rioja Boutique Wine Tour & Charming Lunch (From Bilbao): $270
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Bilbao: $282
- From Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour: $282
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Cusco Bar Hopping Experience : $19
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access and Drinks: $20
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
- Pisco and wine tour in the Majes Valley: $50
- Pub Crawl with 3 Bars and Nightclub Entry: $66
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bilbao and Cusco, we can see that Bilbao is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bilbao is in Europe and Cusco is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Cusco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cusco and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bilbao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bilbao than you might in Cusco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bilbao Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bilbao or Cusco?
Bilbao has a larger population, and is about 13% larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Bilbao and Cusco, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.