Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Salzburg?
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 Salzburg or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Salzburg or Cusco, 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: Salzburg or Cusco?
Salzburg
Most people know of Salzburg from its roll in the infamous movie "The Sound of Music." Every child who fell in love with this movie knows the gazebo scene in the rain, or could sing "My Favorite Things" as they skip down the Salzach River, but once you get past the obvious cliches, you can see that Salzburg is a city with a lot of depth and culture aside from the movie.
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 2-Week Tours in Austria, The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Salzburg Prices
Austria PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalzburg €185Cusco €54
The average daily cost (per person) in Salzburg is €185, 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 Salzburg and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalzburg €91Cusco €21
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalzburg €182Cusco €42
Compare Hotels in Salzburg and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Salzburg 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: Salzburg Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salzburg €19Cusco €9.05
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salzburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salzburg:
- Salzburg Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $72
- Private Transfer between Salzburg Airport and Salzburg City: $72
- Salzburg Private Transfer from Salzburg Airport to City centre: $85
- Salzburg Airport Transfers : Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Business Car: $99
- Arrival Private Transfers: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Business Car: $99
- Departure Private Transfers: Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Business Car: $99
- Arrival Private Transfers: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Luxury Van: $102
- Salzburg Airport Transfers : Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Luxury Car: $118
- Airport Transfer: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg by Luxury Car: $118
- Salzburg Train Station Arrival Transfer: $119
- Salzburg Train Station Departure Transfer: $119
- Salzburg Airport (SZG) to Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Arrival Transfer: $167
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€0.98
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- One-Way Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $7.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $7.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Pickup and Transfer: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $9.18
- Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $9.50
- Pickup from Cusco airport and transfer to your hotel in Private vehicle: $9.52
- Private transfers from Cuzco Airport to Hotels and Sacred Valley: $10
- Private Shuttle Transfer from Cusco Airport (CUZ) to Hotels in Cusco: $10
- Peru Cusco Airport (CUZ) Private Transfer to Cusco City: $10
- Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel in the City of Cusco: $12
- One-way transfer from the Airport to the Hotel - Cusco: $13
Is it cheaper to fly into Salzburg or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Salzburg 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 daySalzburg €71Cusco €20
Typical Food Prices in Salzburg
Some typical examples of dining costs in Salzburg are as follows:
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Lunch Salad€9.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salzburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salzburg.
- Austrian Apple Strudel Cooking Class including Lunch in Salzburg: $69
- Salzburg Christmas Cookies and Apple Strudel Cooking Lesson: $69
- Apple Strudel & Prezel Cooking Class incl. Dinner & Music: $94
- Best of Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $98
- Mozart and Advent/Christmas Concert with Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $98
- Mozart Dinner Concert in Salzburg: $101
- Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Salzburg with River Cruise: $129
- Sound of Music Tour with Edelweiss Cooking Class in Salzburg: $149
- Best of Mozart Concert and GOLDEN VIP Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $153
- Private Knödel (Austrian Dumplings) Cooking Class with a Chef: $178
- Private Artisanal Charcuterie "Marende" Cooking Class with a Chef: $274
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich€1.95
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Mango€0.49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cooking Class Lomo Saltado Pisco Sour y Papa a la Huancaina: $40
- Pete's Peruvian Cooking Class: $52
- Cusco Cooking Classes and San Pedro Market Tour: $55
- Hands-on High End Peruvian Cooking Class & San Pedro Market Visit: $57
- Peruvian Cooking Class in Sacred Valley: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market in Cusco: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market in Cusco: $59
- Cooking Class in Ollantaytambo: $68
- Best Cusco walking tour: dinner street food tasting: $74
- Curious Monkey Cusco- Market and Streets, Walking Food Tour: $75
- The 10 Tastings of Cusco With Locals: Private Food Tour : $90
- Cusco Cooking Class with San Pedro Market Tour: $92
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salzburg €30Cusco €26
Tours and Activities in Salzburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salzburg are as follows:
- Salzburg Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.77
- Salzburg Music, Myths and Baroque Beauty Self-Guided Walking Tour: $6.94
- Zell am See Exploration Game and Tour: $7.15
- Mozart's Salzburg Exploration Game and Tour: $7.15
- Salzburg Uncovered: Your Self Guided Adventure: $8.34
- A taste of An audio tour through the birthplace of Mozart: $12
- Sightseeing with the Sound of Music: A Salzburg Audio Tour: $12
- Discover Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Stiegl Brauwelt Museum ticket: $17
- Fun & mobile puzzle rally tour in Mozart's footsteps through Salzburg: $26
- Fun & mobile puzzle rally tour through Salzburg: $31
- Salzburg Old Town Walking Tour, Mozart, Mirabell Gardens: $39
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€2.44
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Cultural & Historic Walking Tour with Local Drinks: $10
- Cusco Walking tour and Koricancha Temple of the inkas tour: $10
- City Tour Cusco: $12
- City Tour - Lugares destacado en Cusco + Experiencia Fotográfica: $12
- City tour in Cusco.: $14
- From City Tour Including Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay: $14
- City Tour Half Day Templo of the Sun, Sacsayhuaman y Qenqo: $14
- City Tour Half Day Tour with Sacsayhuaman and Q’enqo: $15
- Half-Day City Tour with Sacsayhuaman and Qenqo: $15
- From Half Day City Tour : $15
- City Tour Cusco in Panoramic Bus Daily Departures: $15
- Half-Day City Tour of Cusco Including Tambomachay: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalzburg €26Cusco €8.59
Typical Alcohol Prices in Salzburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Salzburg:
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Beer€3.70
Sample the Local Flavors in Salzburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Salzburg:
- Salzburg Brewery Tour: $60
- Cheers to Beer &Wine Tasting with local Food Pairing: $95
- Private Austrian Wine Tasting with a Pro-Sommelière: $204
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
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Bar Tour, Drinks And Club with no waiting lines: $19
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salzburg and Cusco, we can see that Salzburg is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Salzburg 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 Salzburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salzburg 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 Salzburg Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salzburg or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Salzburg. When comparing the sizes of Salzburg 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.