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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Austria, The Best 10-Day Tours in 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 €57
The average daily cost (per person) in Salzburg is €185, while the average daily cost in Cusco is €57. 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 €9.45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salzburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salzburg:
- Salzburg Airport Private Transfer to or from City Center: $71
- Salzburg Airport Transfers : Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Business Car: $93
- Arrival Private Transfers: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Luxury Van: $96
- Salzburg Airport Transfers : Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Luxury Van: $96
- Private Transfer From Salzburg To Zell am See, Innsbruck or Kitzbuhel: $124
- Salzburg Airport to Zell am See Private Ski Transfer: $145
- Salzburg Airport to Saalbach Hinterglemm Private Ski Transfer: $151
- Salzburg Airport (SZG) to Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Arrival Transfer: $166
- Salzburg to Munich Private Transfer: $233
- Salzburg to Munich Private Transfer with Sightseeing: $272
- Private Transfer Salzburg → Munich, Hotel-to-Hotel, English-speaking driver: $272
- From Salzburg to Munich Airport- Private Transfer - punctual & friendly Driver: $278
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€1.02
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Private Airport Transfer to Hotel in Cusco City: $11
- Private Arrival Transfer Cusco Airport (CUZ) to Accommodation: $11
- Private Transfer from your Hotel in Cusco to the Airport: $11
- Cusco Airport to hotel Transfer: Fast, Reliable Drop-Off: $12
- Private transfers from Cuzco Airport to Hotels and Sacred Valley: $12
- Transfer Cusco Airport - Hotel or Train Station: $12
- Private transfers from or to Cusco Airport: $14
- Cusco Airport Pickup and Private Transfer: $15
- Transfer From Cusco Airport: $15
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $15
- Transfer from Cusco city to the airport: $15
- Private Transfers From Cusco Airport To Hotels: $18
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 €21
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: $71
- Apple Strudel & Salzburg Prezel Cooking Class Experience & Lunch: $77
- Salzburg Christmas Cookies and Apple Strudel Cooking Lesson: $77
- Best of Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $100
- Apple Strudel & Prezel Cooking Class incl. Dinner & Music: $101
- Mozart Dinner Concert in Salzburg: $101
- Bake Apple Strudel and Pretzels – Salzburg Dinner Fortress Views: $113
- Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Salzburg with River Cruise: $129
- Best of Mozart Concert and GOLDEN VIP Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $154
- Original Sound of Music Tour & Edelweiss Cooking Class Salzburg: $172
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich€2.04
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Mango€0.51
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cusco Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner: $32
- Bilingual Cooking Class with Pisco Cocktail in Cusco: $40
- Cooking Class: Lomo Saltado, Papa Huancaina, Pisco Sour in Cusco: $48
- Dinner Show at SUYU a Peruvian Gastronomic and Experience: $53
- Market tour & Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $54
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $54
- Cooking Class in Sacred Valley 8 Recipes and Drinks: $55
- High-End Peruvian Cooking Class, Pisco Sour & San Pedro Market: $57
- San Pedro Market Tour with Peruvian Cooking Class: $57
- Short Immersion Cooking Class: $60
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $65
- Andean Kitchens Cusco Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salzburg €30Cusco €28
Tours and Activities in Salzburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salzburg are as follows:
- Kaprun Walking Tour: Self-Guided City Game: $5.91
- Hellbrunn Audio Guide and Self Guided Tour: $5.91
- Self-Guided Walking Tour of Salzburg with Audio Guide: $5.92
- Salzburg Panorama Cruise on the Salzach river: $23
- Discover Salzburg Differently: Interactive Puzzle City Tour: $31
- Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour: Cycle Salzburg's Surroundings with the Sound of Music: $36
- Salzburg Old Town Walking Tour, Mozart, Mirabell Gardens: $41
- Segway Tours Salzburg City Tour: $82
- WWII Historical Eagle's Nest Guided Tour in Berchtesgaden Germany: $83
- The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg: $89
- Canyoning Adventure in the Salzkammergut from Salzburg: $94
- Hallstatt Half-Day Tour from Salzburg: $101
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€2.55
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Half Day Walking Tour of Cusco: $5.00
- City tour in Cusco.: $9.80
- Cusco Walking tour and Koricancha Temple of the inkas tour: $10
- Cultural & Historic Walking Tour with Local Drinks: $10
- Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary® Admission Ticket: $10
- City Tour in Cusco with visit South American camelids: $11
- City Tour Cusco: $12
- Tour Valle Sur Typon, Pikillacta and Andahuaylillas: $13
- Historic Walking Tour with Pisco Sour and Local Music: $14
- City Tour Cusco, Sacsayhuamán, Tambomachay, Catedral Cusco: $14
- City Tour Half Day Templo of the Sun, Sacsayhuaman y Qenqo: $14
- Cusco City and Inca Ruins Minibus Shared Guided Tour: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalzburg €26Cusco €8.97
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 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: $22
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
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.