Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Vienna?
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 Vienna or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vienna 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: Vienna or Cusco?
Vienna
Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.
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 Tours for Seniors to Austria, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Austria, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Vienna Prices
Austria PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVienna €176Cusco €54
The average daily cost (per person) in Vienna is €176, 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 Vienna and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVienna €94Cusco €21
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVienna €188Cusco €42
Compare Hotels in Vienna and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Vienna 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: Vienna Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vienna €19Cusco €9.05
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vienna
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:
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Bus to Airport€30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna
Also for Vienna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bratislava - Vienna Airport: Direct & Reliable Bus Transfer: $10
- Bratislava Bus Transfer to and from Vienna Airport: $22
- Vienna VIE Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $27
- Transfer from Vienna Airport (VIE) to Vienna City Center: $48
- Transfer from Vienna airport to Bratislava: $57
- Vienna Airport (VIE) Private Transfer to Vienna City/Hotels: $62
- Departure Private Transfer Vienna to Vienna Airport VIE by Sedan: $65
- Arrival Private Transfer Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna by Sedan: $65
- Private Transfer from Vienna Airport to Vienna City Hotel: $71
- Vienna Airport Transfers From Vienna City With Private Driver: $71
- Private transfer from Vienna to the airport : $72
- Schwechat Airport Private Transfer to Vienna City: $75
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:
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo to/from Urubamba: $32
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo from Cusco: $51
- Transfer to Cusco Airport: $15
- Transfer from Cusco to Ollantaytambo: $40
- Transfer from Cusco Airport to the Sacred Valley: $30
- Transfer from Cusco Airport to Your Hotel: $25
- Transfer From Cusco Airport: $15
- Transfer Cusco_Ollantaytambo or vice versa with city tour and Pisac: $140
- Transfer Cusco Airport to Hotel in Cusco (Round trip): $20
- Transfer Cusco Airport - Hotel or vice versa.: $20
- Soraypampa Transfer from Cusco with Breakfast: $26
- Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno by Bus Including Hotel Transfers: $128
Is it cheaper to fly into Vienna or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Vienna 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 dayVienna €58Cusco €20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vienna
For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Skip the Line: Austrian Dinner Show Ticket in Vienna: $102
- Burlesque Spectacular Dinner Show: $119
- Strauss Dinner Show: $119
- Taste A Full Meal Walking Food Tour by Do Eat Better: $126
- Schnitzel and Strudel: Shared Cooking Class : $144
- Nuit des Lumières - The Candlelight Dinner Concert in Vienna: $155
- Authentic Vienna Food Tour inc. lunch, street food, 3 drinks: $171
- Exclusive Evening at Schönbrunn Palace: After-Hours Audiotour, Dinner, Concert: $171
- Nabiel's Vienna Cooking Class: $180
- Classic Food Tour of Vienna: $180
- The Most Delicious Private Food Tour of 6 or 10 Tastings: $188
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.Vienna €38Cusco €26
Tours and Activities in Vienna
For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Vienna's Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Imperial Adventure: $3.59
- Self Guided Tours Vienna With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.59
- Vienna Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.80
- Entrance tickets for the KunstHausWien. Museum Hundertwasser: $4.81
- Vienna Self Guided Walking Tour, Royal traditions & Cafe Culture: $5.78
- Krems an der Donau Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Vienna Prater Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $6.45
- Vienna (City Center) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.45
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Vienna: $7.20
- Vienna Interactive City Tour: $8.42
- Vienna Food Walk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
- Vienna Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
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:
- 1 Day Rainbow Mountain Tour From Cusco: $45
- Cusco Plaza De Armas Tour: $45
- Cusco city wolking tour : $35
- Day Tour to Maras Moray and Salt Flats from Cusco: $59
- Full Day Tour of Laguna Humantay: $45
- Half-Day Private Tour to Maras and Moray: $111
- Official Ticket- Machu Picchu Lost Citadel: $77
- Private Service - Cusco City Tour: $69
- Private Tour to Sacred Valley Full Day from Cusco: $120
- Rainbow Mountain 1 day Tour : $34
- Salineras Tour of Maras, Moray and Sacred Valley of the Incas: $52
- Ticket To Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain : $89
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVienna €17Cusco €8.59
Sample the Local Flavors in Vienna
Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $14
- Friday Night Pub Crawl for Professionals in Vienna, Austria: $28
- Saturday Night Pub Crawl for Professionals in Vienna, Austria: $28
- Local Pub Crawl Vienna: $30
- Wine Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace with optional Palace Ticket: $54
- Small-group Vienna Wine Tour: $143
- Austrian Wine Tasting: $144
- Countryside Half Day Wine Tour near Vienna: $144
- Wine Tasting Tour: $162
- Wachau Valley Wine Tasting Bike Tour from Vienna: $162
- In Vienna Veritas - An Exclusive historical Wine tasting tour: $167
- Austrian Private Wine Tasting Evening: $180
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 Vienna and Cusco, we can see that Vienna is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Vienna 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna 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 Vienna Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vienna or Cusco?
Vienna has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Vienna 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.