Which place is cheaper, Lima or Lake Titicaca (Puno)?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Lima?
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 Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Lima?
Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Lake Titicaca, which directly translates to "puma stone" in Quechua, is located high in the Andes Mountains straddling Peru and Bolivia, with about 60% of the lake in Peru and 40% in Bolivia. Among the lake are three main islands, the most popular of which are the Uros Islands, also known as the floating islands, where the Uros people live on totora reeds that grow in the lake.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Peru, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lima, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLake Titicaca (Puno) $54Lima $75
The average daily cost (per person) in Lake Titicaca (Puno) is $54, while the average daily cost in Lima is $75. 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 Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLake Titicaca (Puno) $25Lima $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLake Titicaca (Puno) $50Lima $96
Compare Hotels in Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Lima
Looking for a hotel in Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Lima? 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: Lake Titicaca (Puno) Hotel Prices and Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lake Titicaca (Puno) $10Lima $5.58
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
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Taxi$0.79
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno):
- Puno Arrival Transfer from bus or railway Station: $14
- Puno Airport Shared Transfer: $20
- Private Transfer from Puerto de Puno to Hotel Puno: $21
- Juliaca Airport Private Transfer to/from Puno city: $44
- Private transfer airport-puno-viceverse: $60
- Private Transfer from Puno to Desaguadero: $196
- Private Transfer from Puno to Frontera Kasani: $205
- Private Transfer From Puno to Chivay, English Speaking Driver: $212
- Private Transfer From Puno to Oruro with English Speaking Driver: $245
- Private Transfer From Puno to Arequipa with English Speaking Driver: $266
- Private Transfer From Puno to Oruro With a Stop in Lake Titicaca: $290
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$5.29
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Taxi Ride$5.29
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Short Taxi Ride$3.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores Kennedy Park: $5.50
- Lima Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Miraflores: $5.63
- Lima Airport: BUS Transfer to/from Lima city center: $6.00
- SHARED AIRPORT TRANSFER - From or To Lima Airport: $11
- Private Transfer: Lima City Center to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) : $13
- Private Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima City Center: $14
- Private transfers from Lima Airport or to Lima Airport: $17
- Transfer from Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco to Airport: $18
- Transfer from the Airport to Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco: $18
- Private Transfer from Lima Airport to Hotel by Aludy Travel: $20
- Lima Airport Arrival Transfer: $20
- Taxi transfers from and to the Lima Airport and Paracas Ica: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima and Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 dayLake Titicaca (Puno) $15Lima $17
Typical Food Prices in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
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Tamales$1.45
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two$4.23
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Ice cream$3.44
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Coffee$2.91
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Donut$0.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Market Food Tour: $35
- Ceviche Cooking Class Including Pisco Sour Lesson: $40
- Lima Street Food Tour: $40
- Lima Market Food Tour: $43
- Cooking Workshop and Water Circuit Tour: $45
- Lima Street Food Tour: $45
- Lima Food Tour: $45
- Barranco Tour with Dinner: $47
- Bohemian tour of Barranco with Dinner: $47
- Lima Night Food Tour: $48
- Best Cooking Classes and Local Market Visit in Miraflores: $50
- Private Guided Walking Street Food Tour in Lima: $55
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lake Titicaca (Puno) $29Lima $8.43
Tours and Activities in Lake Titicaca (Puno)
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lake Titicaca (Puno) are as follows:
- Half Day Tour to Sillustani from Puno : $22
- Morning: Uros Floating Islands Tour from Puno: $25
- Lake Titicaca Uros Floating Islands Half-Day Tour: $25
- Walking City tour Puno: $26
- 4h Tour to Sillustani Inca Ruins: $26
- Sillustani Tombs Half Day Tour from Puno: $28
- Half Day Tour in Sillustani: $29
- Half Day Tour to Chullpas de Sillustani From Puno: $35
- 3h Boat Tour to Uros Island from Puno: $36
- One-day tour of the Uros and Taquile Islands of Lake Titicaca: $40
- Tour to Uros and Taquile Islands in a Fast Boat: $40
- Full Day Guided Tour of the Aymara Route from Puno: $40
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$16
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Movie Tickets$2.25
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Best of Downtown A Self-Guided Audio Tours in English: $7.98
- Lima Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Peru's Best Bike Experience since 2014 - 4 Hours Hire: $9.90
- Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket: $13
- Skip the Line: Peruvian Regional Dances Ticket: $14
- Private City Kickstart Tour: Lima: $14
- Peruvian Craft Coffee Tasting Experience - 1 hr: $15
- Party tour Fridays Barranco / Saturdays Miraflores: $19
- Private Guided Tour in Miraflores at Night: $19
- Private Bike Tour in Lima: $19
- Guided and Private Bike Tour of Lima: $20
- Private Tour with guide in Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI: $20
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLake Titicaca (Puno) $13Lima $5.48
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$7.11
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Beer$3.96
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Cocktail$3.17
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Gin and Rum Distillery Tour: $12
- Party Tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl and Drinks: $20
- Pub Crawl in Lima: $25
- Local Wine Tour: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Lima, we can see that Lima is more expensive. And not only is Lake Titicaca (Puno) much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lake Titicaca (Puno) would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lake Titicaca (Puno) 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 Lake Titicaca (Puno).
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lake Titicaca (Puno) Expensive? and Is Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lake Titicaca (Puno) or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Lake Titicaca (Puno). When comparing the sizes of Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Lima, 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.