Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Quepos?
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 Quepos or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Quepos and Cusco can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Quepos or Cusco?
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
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 Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Quepos Prices
Costa Rica PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuepos $155Cusco $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $155, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $66. 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 Quepos and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuepos $85Cusco $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuepos $170Cusco $50
Compare Hotels in Quepos and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Quepos 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: Quepos Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quepos $11Cusco $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Manuel Antonio: $88
- Private Transfer from Liberia Airport to Manuel Antonio: $88
- Puntarenas city to Juan Santamaria Intl Airport(SJO)-Departure Private Transfer: $105
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO): $166
- Private One Way Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Arenal La Fortuna: $195
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $207
- Private Transfer FROM or TO Manuel Antonio - Sierpe: $209
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to the Sierpe: $213
- Private Transfer: SJO Airport to or from Manuel Antonio Quepos: $235
- Private Transfer from Quepos Port to Liberia Int Airport (LIR): $259
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$1.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo from Cusco: $75
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo Cusco Peru: $90
- Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco: $54
- Transfer from Cusco Airport to Your Hotel: $25
- Transfer from Cusco Airport to Ollantaytambo Station: $41
- Transfer From Airport to Cusco Center Hotels: $23
- Transfer Cusco to Sacred Valley of the Incas: $36
- Transfer Cusco to Poroy: $20
- Transfer Cusco to Ollantaytambo Station Outbound or Return: $34
- Transfer Cusco Airport to your Hotel in Cusco: $10
- Transfer Cusco Airport to Hotel in Cusco Round Trip: $22
- Tourist Transfer from Cusco to Hydroelectric: $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Quepos or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Quepos 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 dayQuepos $57Cusco $25
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$16
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
- Local Flavor Cooking Experience: $96
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.38
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Mango$0.60
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cusco Billingual Cooking Class at 6pm: $40
- Bilingual Cooking Class with Pisco Cocktail in Cusco: $40
- Market-to-Table Peruvian Cooking Class and Cocktail in Cusco: $52
- Cusco Cooking Class Experience: $55
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $65
- Cooking Class in Ollantaytambo: $68
- Cusco Authentic Food Tour with 9 Locals Favorites Tastings: $76
- Cusco Tour at Night: Planetarium, Dinner & Pisco Sour: $79
- Cusco Walking City Tour and Cooking Class at Wanchaq Market: $79
- Curious Monkey Cusco- Eat the Streets, Walking Food Tour: $80
- Exquisite Culinary Journey: Cusco's Best Street Food Tour: $85
- The 10 Tastings of Cusco With Locals: Private Food Tour: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quepos $19Cusco $32
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Manuel Antonio National Park *Group tour/Park ticket NOT included: $22
- Manuel Antonio National Park : Guided tour with TICKET INCLUDED: $23
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $25
- Manuel Antonio Nature Experience with Jeremias: $25
- Manuel Antonio Park Tour and its Amazing Wildlife and Beaches: $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park: Guided Tour with TICKET INCLUDED: $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour with ticket option: $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour With Ticket Option: $27
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio Park Guided Tour with Ticket Included Option: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour: $28
- Manuel Antonio National Guided Park tour: $29
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$2.98
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- 1 Day Ausangate 7 Lakes Hiking Tour & Hot Springs: $48
- 1 Day Classic Sacred Valley Tour With Buffet Lunch: $55
- 1 Day Rainbow Mountain Tour From Cusco: $60
- 1 Day Rainbow Mountain Walking Tour: $35
- 1 Day Sacred Valley Tour with Moray from Cusco: $61
- 1 Day Tour to Palccoyo (Alternative Rainbow Mtn) from Cusco, Peru: $154
- 1-Day Tour Rainbow Mountain from Cusco: $190
- 2 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Car: $150
- 2 Day Tour to Machupicchu by Minivan: $145
- 2 days 1 night - Machupicchu by bus tour: $220
- 2-Day Group Tour: Cusco City Tour & Sacred Valley of the Incas: $46
- 2-Day Guided Tour of Ausangate Trek: $290
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuepos $16Cusco $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Discover Cusco Nightlife with Bar Crawl Cusco: $17
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Bar Tour, Drinks And Club with no waiting lines: $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quepos and Cusco, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Quepos is in Central America 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos 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 Quepos Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quepos or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Quepos 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.