Which place is cheaper, Atlanta or Cusco?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cusco or Atlanta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Cusco or Atlanta, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Cusco or Atlanta?
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.
Atlanta
Atlanta is a city rich in history but modern in its development and industry. It has a population of just under 500,000 with more than five million people living in the metropolitan area. It is also the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States The city is rich in culture and was at the center of the civil rights movement. It is the capital of the state of Georgia, and was home to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. It has the world's busiest airport and arguably some of the country's worst traffic, but the residents are recognized for their friendly and welcoming nature and the city is lush with green trees and wonderful parks.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco, The Best Historical Tours in United States of America, and The Best 10-Day Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCusco $50Atlanta $173
The average daily cost (per person) in Cusco is $50, while the average daily cost in Atlanta is $173. 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 Cusco and Atlanta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCusco $23Atlanta $90
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCusco $46Atlanta $180
Compare Hotels in Cusco and Atlanta
Looking for a hotel in Cusco or Atlanta? 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: Cusco Hotel Prices and Atlanta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cusco $9.96Atlanta $44
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$1.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- From 2-Day Guided Trip to Machu Picchu with Transfers: $350
- Full-Day Trip to Machu Picchu with Hotel Transfers: $290
- Private Transfer From Cusco To Puno With 2 Sightseeing Hours: $249
- Direct Private Transfer From Cusco to Puno, English Local Speaking Driver: $205
- Private Transfer from Alejandro Velasco Astete (CUZ) Airport to Valle Sagrado : $159
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco RoundTrip Private Transfer: $151
- Transfer Cusco_Ollantaytambo or vice versa with city tour and Pisac: $140
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco city or airport- Roundtrip Private Transfer: $135
- Puno Bus Transfer with Buffet Lunch: $109
- Private City Tour and Saksaywaman Visit with Transfer: $80
- Cuzco to Ollantaytambo Train Station - Departure Private Transfer: $75
- Cuzco city or airport to Ollantaytambo train station -Departure Private Transfer: $68
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Atlanta
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Atlanta:
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MARTA Subway Ticket$4.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Atlanta
Also for Atlanta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Hartsfield Jackson Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs - Arrival Private Transfer: $33
- Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs -Arrival Private Transfer: $36
- Transfer in executiveprivate vehicle from Atlanta Downtown -Atlanta Airport(ATL): $53
- Hartsfield Jackson Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $66
- Transfer in Executive Private Minivan from Atlanta Airport to Atlanta Downtown: $67
- Transfer in Executive Private Minivan from Atlanta Downtown to Atlanta Airport: $67
- Sno Roth Luxury Car Service and Airport Transfer : $75
- Private One-way Atlanta Airport Transfer To/From Atlanta: $76
- Private Arrival Transfer from Atlanta Airport (ATL): $80
- Private Transfer from Atlanta (ATL) Airport to Atlanta City: $94
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Atlanta - Arrival Private Transfer: $97
- Atlanta to Atlanta Airport (ATL) Departure Private Transfer: $97
Is it cheaper to fly into Cusco or Atlanta?
Prices for flights to both Atlanta and Cusco 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 dayCusco $13Atlanta $43
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.15
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Mango$0.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Small-Group Virtual Ceviche Cooking Experience: $25
- Folkloric Andean Show & 3-Course Dinner at Tunupa: $35
- CUSCO COOKING CLASS LUNCH - Quick Culinary Dive: $37
- 3-Hour Peruvian Cooking Class: $49
- Market Tour & Traditional Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $53
- Cooking Class and market tour with a local chef: $56
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market in Cusco: $59
- Dinner at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel: $65
- Peruvian Market Tour And Cooking Class in Cusco: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class, Cocktails & Local Market Tour: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class & Market Tour: $65
- Awamaki Cooking Class: $68
Typical Food Prices in Atlanta
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Atlanta:
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Fast Food Lunch (for 2)$15
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Lunch$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Atlanta
For Atlanta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2 Hour Guided Wood Fired Pizza Class in Atlanta: $55
- City Lights Atlanta Night-Time Tour with Photos & Dinner Stop: $65
- City Lights Night Tour with Photos & Dinner Stop: $65
- 2 Hour Historic Market Food Tour and Hands-On Biscuit Class: $70
- Historic Market Food Tour and Biscuit Cooking Class: $70
- Ponce City Market 2.5-Hour Weekend Food Tour: $99
- Food Tour of Inman Park and the Atlanta Beltline: $99
- Secret Food Tours Atlanta w/ Private Tour Option: $109
- Private Truist Park and Battery Braves Atlanta Food Tour: $199
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cusco $29Atlanta $56
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$2.69
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- 2 Day Pisac Ollantaytambo Salt flats Moray Sacred Valley Tour: $297
- City Tour Cusco / Tour in the City: $12
- City tour of Cusco by E-BIKE: $131
- Colorful mountain adventure with a slightly steep hike: $48
- Half- Day City Tour Cusco : $150
- Moray saltmines ATV (Cuatrimotos) Tour: $68
- Night Tour in Cusco Private Service: $90
- Official Machupicchu Ticket: $96
- Official Ticket Football Day tour In Cusco with Tourism Guide: $100
- Official Ticket- Machu Picchu Lost Citadel: $72
- Private Tour to Sacred Valley Full Day from Cusco: $130
- Sacred Valley Tour in Cusco : $47
Tours and Activities in Atlanta
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Atlanta.
- Civil Rights Self-Guided Audio App Walking Tour: $6.75
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $9.00
- Atlanta Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Olympic Park & Pemberton Place: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Atlanta Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour Guide: $10
- The Civil Rights Movement in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Civil Rights Movement in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $13
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $14
- Murder Mystery Detective Experience Decatur, GA: $15
- SkyView Ferris Wheel Ticket: $16
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $18
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCusco $9.46Atlanta $17
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 - Bar Tour Cusco : $18
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Cusco Bar Hopping Experience : $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access and Drinks: $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
Sample the Local Flavors in Atlanta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Atlanta:
- Drag Queen Guided Pub Crawl and Cabaret Show: $36
- ATLANTA Yes, Queen! Drag Queen Pub Crawl : $40
- Half-Day Wine Tastings in the North Georgia Mountains : $115
- North Georgia Mountains Two Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $150
- Bartram Trail Hike plus Wine Tasting: $159
- North Georgia Mountains Three Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $165
- North Georgia Mountains Private Three Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $180
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cusco and Atlanta, we can see that Atlanta is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cusco is in South America and Atlanta is in North 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 Atlanta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Atlanta 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 Cusco Expensive? and Is Atlanta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cusco or Atlanta?
Atlanta has a larger population, and is about 35% larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Cusco and Atlanta, 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.