Should you visit Copacabana or Lima?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Copacabana and Lima. 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. So, let's dig into it.
Copacabana
Copacabana, Bolivia, is a small, bright and enchanting town located on the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. Situated relatively close to the capital of La Paz, it is a popular resort mostly destination for foreign travellers, meaning that you may feel like there are more Argentinians and Americans than locals. Copacabana is the perfect jump-off point for visiting Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna and makes a pleasant stopover between La Paz and Puno or Cusco. Featuring beautiful nature walks, ancient sites, stunning sunsets and quaint little restaurants, Copacabana is a travelers' favorite destination to soak in the panoramic views, savor freshly caught trucha, and explore what the Incas believed to be the birthplace of their empire.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
Which city is cheaper, Lima or Copacabana?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Copacabana is $34, while the average daily cost in Lima is $56. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Copacabana and Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $18 for a double occupancy room in Copacabana.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $72 for a double occupancy room in Lima.
Food
The price of a meal in Copacabana can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $14 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $5.60 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
On average, meal and food prices in Lima cost around $13 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $5.20.
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Food
Meals for one day
Copacabana $14
Lima $13
Typical Food prices in Copacabana
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Copacabana:
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Lunch
$3.63
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Sandwich
$1.16
Typical Food prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two
$3.90
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Ice cream
$3.17
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Coffee
$2.68
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Donut
$0.85
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
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Virtual Peruvian Cooking Class "Lomo Saltado":
$18
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Dancing Horse Show & Dinner Buffet & Barranco Night Tour:
$46
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#1 Lima Food Tour and Local Markets (Small Group):
$46
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#1 Dancing Horse Show & Dinner Buffet & Barranco Night Tour:
$46
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Delicious Food Tour through Local Markets:
$46
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#1 Peruvian Food Tour through Local Markets (Small Group):
$46
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Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant:
$49
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Private Cooking Class With a Local Family in Lima:
$52
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3–Hour Restaurant Dinner and Show Experience:
$55
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Dinner Show and Exhibition of Peruvian Horse including Pick up & drop off:
$55
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Peruvian Food Tour Through Local Markets:
$55
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Magic Water Circuit, Dinner & Show in Lima:
$56
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Copacabana is $11 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The cost of a taxi ride in Lima is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $4.33 per person, per day, on local transportation in Lima.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Copacabana
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Copacabana:
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Private Transfer from La Paz to Uyuni.:
$249
Typical Local Transportation prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride
$4.87
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Taxi Ride
$4.87
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Short Taxi Ride
$3.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
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Airport Transfer Service in Lima:
$59
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Airport transfer Lima / English speaking driver:
$20
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Departure Private Transfer from Lima City to Lima Airport LIM by Sedan Car:
$30
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From Palomino Islands Cruise & Swimming with Sea Lions with Transfers:
$125
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LIMA - PERÚ, 4 Days and 3 Nights + acommodation *** + Transfer + 4 tours IN LIMA:
$559
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LIMA CAR TRANSFER - Private Service:
$25
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Larco Museum Restaurant Dining Experience with Transfer:
$59
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Lima Airport Arrival Transfer:
$24
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Lima Airport Departure Transfer:
$24
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Lima Airport Transfer: One Way:
$16
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Lima Airport Transfers: Jorge Chavez Airport LIM to Lima City in Standard Car:
$30
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Lima Airport Transfers: Jorge Chavez Airport LIM to Lima City in Standard Van:
$35
Is it cheaper to fly into Copacabana or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima and Copacabana 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.
Entertainment
Copacabana's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $15 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Entertainment and activities in Lima typically cost an average of $6.22 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Copacabana
Here are a few actual costs in Copacabana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Titicaca Touristic Bus from Copacabana to La Paz_Everyday_1:00 pm:
$12
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La Paz and Moon Valley Half-Day Tour:
$55
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Private Tour: La Paz City Sightseeing and Moon Valley:
$66
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2-Day Moon & Sun Island Tour from La Paz:
$147
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La Paz City Tour - Fullday (FD):
$163
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Private Tour: Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and Sun Island from La Paz:
$311
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2-Day Private Tour from La Paz: Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and Sun Island:
$553
Typical Entertainment prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
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MATE Admission Ticket:
$4.00
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Cathedral of Lima Admission Ticket:
$6.35
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Skip the Line: Peruvian Regional Dances Ticket:
$8.99
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Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket:
$10
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Museo del Oro and Armas del Mundo Admission Tickets from Lima:
$11
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Half Day Panoramic City Tour Lima III:
$15
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Live online experience: Prepare cocktails with a Peruvian bartender:
$19
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4-Hour Walking Tour of the Historic Center of Lima:
$25
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Panoramic City Tour of Lima:
$25
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Half Day City Tour:
$27
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Half Day Panoramic City Tour Lima II:
$27
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Lima City Tour Express - Excursion:
$28
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Copacabana may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $9.34 per day on alcoholic beverages.
The average person spends about $3.52 on alcoholic beverages in Lima per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typical Alcohol prices in Copacabana
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Copacabana from other travelers:
Typical Alcohol prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine
$6.55
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Beer
$3.65
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Cocktail
$2.92
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
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Lima 3.5-Hour Pisco Pub Crawl:
$25
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Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Oasis + Wine Tour (Unique Experience):
$226
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Mysterious Nazca Lines, Overflight from Ica, Huacachina Oasis & Wine Tour!:
$490
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Copacabana and Lima, we can see that Lima is more expensive. And not only is Copacabana much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Copacabana would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Copacabana 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 Lima would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lima than you might in Copacabana.
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