3+ Months Backpacking in Peru: My Travel Budget

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WONDERING ABOUT A TRAVEL BUDGET FOR BACKPACKING PERU!?

Are you heading to Peru and wondering how much money you should bring!? My partner Dylan and I backpacked throughout Ecuador for four months in 2024-2025, from the desolate amazon city of Iquitos to the Andes mountains in Cusco. Today, I’m going to go over every cent we spent during our time in Peru!

3 Months Backpacking Peru Travel Budget: An Overview

Dylan and I spent 109 days exploring Peru (nineteen days over our visa!), and we accounted for every dollar spent. We truly experienced all Peru had to offer, and it’s fascinating to look back on what things cost after our trip concluded. If you’re planning a trip to Peru, here is what you can expect a budget backpacker’s expenses to look like!

3 Months(+) Backpacking Peru Travel Budget

Peru is a beautiful country, and there is truly so much to explore. We wanted to explore so much that we stayed past our visa date! The country is generally very affordable for a backpacker, so we’ll give an overall budget breakdown. However, prices vary from city to city, so we’ll go over that, too. Let’s dive headfirst into it!

Overall Budget Breakdown

Overall, Dylan and I spent $8,249.56 in Peru over 109 days. That equals $4,124.78 per person or $37.84 per person per day. Compared to our backpacking Ecuador travel budget ($30.38 per person per day), Peru was slightly more expensive than Ecuador. That doesn’t surprise me much because I think we did a LOT more excursions, activities, and attractions here in Peru. 

Our monthly cost (per person) averages around $1,135.20 per month. Not bad. That’s definitely less than my average bills in the States! Here’s a more detailed overview of where our money went:

Food: $2,588.35

We spent $2,588.35 on food, which averages about $1,294.17 per person or $11.87 per person per day. That’s around $356.19 per person per month, so take that as you will. This number could’ve been lower if we had seized more opportunities to cook for ourselves. However, we often found ourselves away from our hostel/hotel while traveling, and sometimes dining out was the most convenient.

If I’ve taken anything from this budget report, buying groceries can save you tons while traveling. Food has consistently been the biggest expense for us, and we always do a mix between cooking for ourselves, eating at the discounted local lunch and dinner spots, and occasionally splurging at a more touristy restaurant. We also have our fair share of cappuccino and ice cream runs, but what’s travel without those, am I right!?

Travelers Tip: The obvious advice here is to buy groceries or find hotels with breakfast included. However, if you are going to dine out, Peru has fantastic lunch and dinner specials at local spots. You can find meals for as cheap as $2 per person. It typically comes with soup, a main plate, juice or tea, and sometimes dessert! 

Accommodations: $1,535.46

This is a pretty good number when we consider our accommodations as what we’d be paying in rent. For reference, Dylan and I were paying less than $1,200 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Arizona (2024) and around $1,800 a month for a one-bedroom in Washington, DC (2022). To see $1,535.46 account for over three months of accommodations is pretty impressive!

Our accommodation expenses add to paying around $7.04 a night per person. That’s around $211.30 a month! That is pretty amazing to think about. We stayed in a mixture of dorm rooms in bunks and a shared double bed in private rooms. However, we usually choose the lower-priced accommodations, if not the cheapest.

Travelers Tip: You have an advantage in Peru traveling as a couple (or with someone else) because private rooms are often comparable to dorm beds. However, Peru has affordable prices no matter what, and our favorite booking platforms have been Booking.com and HostelWorld. 

Transportation: $1,123.25

Over 109 days in Peru, we spent $1,123.25 on transportation. That’s $561.62 per person or $5.15 per person per day. We took a slow boat to the Amazon, flew to Chiclayo, took overland buses and colectivos in between, and navigated the cities using Uber and taxis. Because we traveled from the northern part of Peru to the southern part, I’d say that’s a decent price. 

In the US, we’d spend around $240 a month on gas, and our total monthly spending was only $154.50 per person. It was very affordable since we traveled through the country, usually by public transportation. One thing I found when booking plane tickets in South America is that booking directly through LATAM is often cheaper than other booking platforms.

Travelers Tip: If you’re okay traveling on overnight buses (which I only recommend when it’s not the rainy season), this can cut accommodation costs.

However, overnight buses are where I wouldn’t cheap out – spend a little more so that you have more comfort to get a decent sleep. Our favorite booking company is Busbud. We enjoyed Linea buses in northern Peru and Cruz del Sur buses in southern Peru. 

Activities & Attractions: $997.34

Here’s the thing – Dylan and I are definitely considered more budget-friendly backpackers, but when it comes to activities and attractions, we have a hard time saying no. One of the things that brings us joy when traveling is experiencing what the places have to offer, so we spent $997.34 on activities and attractions during our time in Peru. You could consider this our “fun money.”

We spent $498.67 per person on activities/attractions, equaling about $137.25 a month ($4.57 per person daily). We did a 5-Day Trek to Machu Picchu, rented scooters to see nine archeological sites in the Sacred Valley, saw penguins on Islas Ballestas, hiked in the Andes mountains and the Cordillera Blanca, took a private flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines, and took a 2-day tour deep into the Amazon. I wouldn’t trade a penny!

Travelers Tip: Peru is a negotiating culture, and if you want to take a tour, don’t be afraid to negotiate and shop around. Just stay respectful of prices and bear in mind that this is their livelihood. If you’d prefer to book tours online beforehand, I prefer Viator and GetYourGuide. 

Bills: $1,202.64

It makes me cringe a little to see this is how much we paid for bills, but it is what it is. We paid for our monthly travel insurance (which I highly recommend) through SafetyWing and started attending therapy towards the end of our time in Peru. Traveling for long periods can be challenging, and we thought it was worth the price!

We also have monthly phone storage fees, and we invested in our business by purchasing YouTube tools and our blog domain. $1,202.64 is $165.50 per person per month on bills. When I think of it like that, it isn’t so bad. Plus, we aren’t paying for bills like electricity, WiFi, phone, or garbage.

Travelers Tip: We HIGHLY recommend purchasing travel insurance for longer trips. Dylan and I both got extremely sick when we were in Peru. Luckily, we didn’t have any emergency doctor visits. If we did, I’d have peace of mind knowing we were covered. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Personal Items: $320.01

Personal items consisted of laundry, toiletries, bathroom breaks, and medicine. I also had to buy new prescription sunglasses after losing mine. We didn’t spend too much in this category over the three months, though I did buy some expensive facial sunscreen. $320.01 equals about $44 per person per month.

Extras: $483.51

It’s ALWAYS a good idea to budget more than you think you’ll need for the extra expenses you acquire. Dylan bought a down jacket for the colder weather, we spent a ton of tips on tour guides, and we had a lot of other miscellaneous purchases on god knows what. Still, our “extra” category only equals $66.54 per person per month, which isn’t terrible.

Budget Breakdown by City

We traveled through Peru from north to south, mostly by bus and occasionally by plane. Since we spent almost four months in the country, I’ve grouped a few cities for convenience, since we went to seventeen places. Here, you’ll find a budget breakdown by each city and a brief description of those expenses. Let’s dive in!

Jaén, Tarapoto, & Yurimaguas

Our time spent in Jaén, Tarapoto, and Yurimaguas was quick since we were passing through them to reach other destinations. Jaén was the first city we stopped in Peru after crossing the border from Ecuador at La Balsa. We stopped at Chachapoyas for longer before heading to Tarapoto and Yurimaguas – the gateway to the Amazon.

Between these three cities, we spent $616.72. On average, we paid $38.54 per person per day. Here’s a breakdown of what we spent in each place:

	Jaen (3 days)	Tarapoto (3 days)	Yurimaguas (2 days)
Transportation	$51.71	$46.04	$17.02
Accommodations	$67.06	$48.45	$13.31
Food/Snacks/Bev	$82.41	$54.03	$42.43
Activities & Attractions	–	$42.58	–
Laundry/toiletries	–	$3.86	–
Bills	–	$135.80	–
Extra	$12.02	–	–
TOTAL	$213.20	$330.76	$72.76
Cost per person per day	$35.54	$55.13	$18.19

Jaén: $213.20

When we were in Jaén, we were settling into Peru. We stayed at one hotel the entire time, Gran Hotel Palmeras, paying $11.18 a night per person, which was a bit more than we were used to, but Jaén wasn’t a very touristy place. 

We mostly took moto-taxis around the city ($44 for transportation to arrive from Vilcabamba, EC) and ate at surrounding restaurants. We did end up taking a trip to Montegrand without realizing it wasn’t open to the public, but we got a free tour from one of the archaeologists on a lunch break, so our “extra” went to tip him for sharing his knowledge and showing us around!

Tarapoto: $330.76

After Chachapoyas, we headed to Tarapoto, another in-transit destination, but we were pleasantly surprised to find many activities to choose from there. We stayed in a private room at Shoffi’s Backpackers Hostel for two nights. The hostel was perfect for us because it was decently priced ($8.07 a night per person), and it was next to the Mercado El Huayco where we could buy groceries and make food in the hostel kitchen, which overall saved us a ton for our food budget!

We mostly took moto-taxis to get to the plaza and around ($37.26 of the total transportation cost was the overnight bus from Chachapoyas). We took a tour of the Carpishuyacu waterfall, costing us $42.58 ($21.29 a person). It was well worth it because it included lunch, the entrance fee, a guide, and transportation. We also had a few bills taken out ($132.58 for travel insurance and $3.25 for iPhone storage) and bought a razor and some mouthwash.

Yurimaguas: $72.76

We didn’t spend a ton of time in Yurimaguas, mostly because we were only there in transit to take the slow cargo boat to Iquitos the following day. For our one-night stay, we paid $13.31 to sleep at Hostel El Puerto in a private room ($6.65 per person). We took taxis around town ($10.64 was the cost to arrive from Tarapoto) and ate at restaurants before the slow boat. 

Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas was our first long-term destination in Peru, and it’s safe to say that I think it’s an underrated place to visit. While not many people make it to the northern side of Perú (or if they do, it’s in Mancora), some of my favorite trips were from Chachapoyas!

We stayed in Chacha for nine days and did multiple excursions, though it didn’t turn out to be that expensive – it was the cheapest city we visited in Peru! We spent $416.82, or an average of $23.16 per person daily. Let’s go over some of those expenses: 

Food: $183.44

The hostel we stayed at had a kitchen, so we usually bought groceries in Chachapoyas, which positively impacted our low-cost spending in this city. We did dine out at restaurants seven times, whether that was because we didn’t feel like cooking or we were out and about and couldn’t.

We spent $113.57 dining out, $9.31 on snacks and drinks, and $60.56 on groceries. If that doesn’t show how much you can save on food by cooking yourself, I don’t know what will!

Accommodations: $86.17

We stayed in a private room at one hostel: Aventura Backpackers Hostel. It cost $86.17 for nine days or $5.38 per night per person. What a deal! It was only about a five-minute walk from the plaza, and the private kitchen really helped us keep costs low here.

Transportation: $61.93

We used a variety of transportation options in Chachapoyas, including colectivos, moto-taxis, and a telecabina ride at Kuelap. We took quite a few day trips, but here’s a more accurate breakdown of where our transportation costs came from:

• $16.21 for moto-taxis around town, mostly to the bus terminal and back.
• $31.93 for colectivos
  • $13.31 to get to Chachapoyas from Jaén
  • $10.64 to get to Gocta Waterfall and back
  • $7.98 to get to Kuelap 
• $13.79 Telecabana ride to Kuelap

Personal Items & Extras: $46.36

We spent $43.37 on personal items, things like bathroom visits ($0.67), laundry ($10.64), toiletries ($6.02), and malaria prevention pills for the amazon rainforest ($25.04). The only bill in Chachapoyas was a $2.99 fee for Apple storage.

Iquitos

Iquitos, the only city not navigable by road, was one of the places I was absolutely thrilled to visit. We spent twelve days total in Iquitos, and although it was humid, it was a destination I’ll never forget. Since Iquitos was far from the rest of Peru in the Amazon, we did spend a bit more on transportation prices (and activities!). We paid $994.78 in Iquitos, or on average, $41.45 per person daily. 

Food: $263.75

Luckily, the hostel we stayed at had a kitchen, otherwise, our food prices would’ve been much steeper! We dined at restaurants for eight meals, but for twelve days, I wouldn’t say that’s too bad! We spent $38.05 on water, drinks, and snacks, $114.69 dining out, and $111.01 on groceries. Once again, you can see how much cheaper it is to buy groceries!

Accommodations: $127.54

We stayed in a private room at Hospedaje Neydita and spent $127.54 for twelve days, or $5.31 per person daily. We really enjoyed our stay here, especially because there were multiple working spaces, a private kitchen, and super friendly staff. They were so friendly, they even took us to the barrios on New Year’s to see the tradition of burning the dolls!

Transportation: $327.40

As I mentioned, transportation prices were a bit steep in Iquitos. For one, we had to pay to take the slow boat to reach the island, and then we decided to fly out to Chiclayo afterward. Other than those expenses that make up the majority of transportation costs, we took taxis around the city, which was very affordable. Here’s a breakdown:

• $78.84 for the slow cargo boat ride to Iquitos (36 hours long)
• $224.02 flight from Iquitos to Chiclayo 
• $25.54 in moto-taxis around the city 

Activities & Attractions: $145.83

We only did one big tour in Iquitos because prices were higher than we were used to because it’s a big tourist destination.  We booked a two-night Amazon Tour with Jairo Adventures for $133.06, but we negotiated the price in exchange for a YouTube video and professional photos/videos.

The price was worth it because the tour included transportation (bus and boat) to Pacaya Samira National Reserve and back, a guide, four meals, two jungle walks, and accommodation for that evening. Other small “activities” we did while we were in Iquitos were going to a movie for the first time in months ($4.79) and fishing for piranhas with a local that we met ($7.98 as a tip for allowing us to use the boat)!

 Personal Items & Bills: $55.61

We spent $40.62 on personal expenses in Iquitos, including $10.78 on two laundry trips and $29.86 on ibuprofen, more malaria pills, and mouthwash. We only had one bill in Iquitos for when Dylan bought Creator’s Best Friend ($14.99) as a tool to help us with our YouTube videos!

Extras: $74.53

We had to spend a little extra for Iquitos, especially because we took the slow barge to the city, which required us to purchase hammocks (to sleep in) and Tupperware to eat out of. We bought hammocks, hammock straps, silverware, and Tupperware for $23.82. We paid $32.19 for tips for the various activities, batteries for $0.53, and some fun items like two pairs of earrings, swimsuits, and a bracelet for $18.09.

Chiclayo

Chiclayo was our next stop after Iquitos, but I will admit that this is the one city in Peru I would’ve been happy to skip. Don’t get me wrong, there were a ton of interesting attractions close to Chiclayo, but I didn’t care for the city itself too much. We spent six days in Chiclayo and paid $580.30, or $48.36 per day per person.

Food: $188.58

Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t have a kitchen, so we dined out for our meals. We spent $167.78 on meals and fruit and $20.80 on water, snacks, and drinks. 

Accommodations: $0

We decided to use a travel credit on Dylan’s Capital One Venture card, so our private room in Chiclayo was free, which was fantastic. We stayed at Hotel Zentrico, and it would’ve been $140.40, or $11.70 a night per person if we had to pay for the room.

Transportation: $26

We did many day trips from Chiclayo, but everything was very close and affordable, so we didn’t spend much on transportation. We took a mix of taxis, moto-taxis, and colectivos to get around. Here’s a breakdown of where we spent our money on transportation:

• $14.04 on taxis
  • $11.70 for car taxis
  • $2.34 on moto-taxis 
• $11.96 on colectivos
  • $1.56 ride back from Pimentel beach
  • $5.20 to the Tucume pyramids
  • $5.30 to Lord Sipan archeological site

Activities & Attractions: $44.72

We did one activity and visited two attractions in Chiclayo. My favorite day was when we went to Pimentel beach and took surf lessons for two hours! Surfing lessons at “The Point Surf School” cost us $36.40 total ($18.20 each) – score! We also visited the Tucume pyramids for $4.16, as well as the Huaca Rajada Sipan archeological site for an additional $4.16.

Personal Items & Extras: $13.09

We didn’t spend a ton on “extras” here, but we did spend $3.47 on throat lozenges (I, unfortunately, started feeling a cold) and $9.62 on things like tips, a swimsuit for Dylan because his previous pair ripped, and a haircut for Dylan.

Bills: $307.51

Some unexpected bills popped up during our time in Chiclayo, making it an expensive category for this city. We spent over $300 on bills this week, including a $177.63 phone bill charge from Verizon, the $119.88 fee to keep my blog domain, and a $10 Wells Fargo bank fee. Luckily, these fees don’t come up every week!

Trujillo & Huanchaco

After Chiclayo, we visited Trujillo for a few days before meeting Dylan’s sister and brother-in-law in Huanchaco. Having visitors always skews our budget a bit because we’re introduced to different travel styles! That said, we were a little more open with our wallets in Huanchaco.

We spent $854.28 in these cities, or $35.39 per person daily. Here’s a breakdown of what we spent in each place:

	Trujillo (2 days)	Huanchaco (10 days)
Food/Drinks/Snacks	$54.50	$268.08
Accommodations	$26.93	$212.61
Transportation	$18.33	$26.78
Activities & Attractions	–	$45.63
Personal items	$7.02	$27.31
Extras	–	$28.30
Bills	–	$138.79
TOTAL	$106.78	$747.50
Cost per person per day	$26.69	$37.36

Trujillo: $106.78

We only spent two nights in Trujillo before making our way to Huanchaco. We stayed at Yaqta Hostel in a dorm room for $26.93, or $6.73 per person, per night. We bought two hostel breakfasts ($15.94) and dined out for our other meals. It cost us $16.47 to get to Trujillo from Chiclayo, and we took buses and taxis within the city. We also spent $7.02 on laundry. In total, we spent $106.78 in Trujillo or $26.69 per person per day.

Huanchaco: $747.50

We spent 10 days in the beautiful coastal town of Huanchaco, with six of those days hanging out with Dylan’s sister and brother-in-law. Huanchaco is known as a vacation town with foreigners and locals alike, so the prices were slightly higher than one would expect. We spent $747.50 in Huanchaco or $37.36 per person daily. Here’s a breakdown:

Food: $268.08

Although we had kitchens at both the Airbnb and the hostel we stayed at, we mostly dined out in Huanchaco. This is attributed to two things: one, Dylan’s sister and brother-in-law were on vacation and rightfully didn’t want to cook, and two, during the second half of our trip, we got severe food poisoning and couldn’t get out of bed to cook for ourselves.

Accommodations: $212.16

We stayed at two different places in Huanchaco. The first was an Airbnb (Balcony Oceanfront Apartment) we split with Dylan’s sister and brother-in-law. Dylan and I paid $150 for the six days while they covered the rest. That averages out to $12.50 per person per night.

Additionally, we stayed in Huanchaco for four more days and booked two dorm beds at a hostel at Point Break Surf Camp for $57.23. However, we upgraded to a private room once we got food poisoning for an additional $5.38. That comes out to $62.61 or $7.82 per person per night.

Transportation: $26.78

We took a bus to Huanchaco ($1.30) and then used taxis and Ubers to get around. We paid $21.28 in Ubers to get to the Trujillo bus station and Laguna Canoche and $4.98 in taxis from one side of Huanchaco to the other. We also paid a $1.08 entrance fee at the bus station when we were leaving Trujillo, leaving our transportation costs to equal $26.78 for six days.

Activities & Attractions: $45.63

When we were in Huanchaco, we did two attractions/activities. We visited the famous Chan Chan archeological site, paid for an English-speaking guide ($5.20 to enter and $9.10 for the tour guide), and went to Laguna Canoche. At Laguna Canoche, we rented sandboards for $12.48 (+$1.04 to enter the dunes) and split a paddle boat ride for $2.60. We also bought chairs on the beach in front of the Airbnb one day for $3.25.

Personal Items, Bills & Extras: $194.90

We paid $26.91 for medicine and toiletries, like ibuprofen, soap, tissue paper, contact solution, antibiotic ointment (thanks, bot fly from Iquitos!), mouthwash, electrolytes, and anti-diarrheal. That food poisoning was no joke!  We also paid $0.40 to use the bathroom at the bus station.

We had three bills taken out during our time in Huanchaco: two for Apple storage ($6.23) and one for our monthly travel insurance subscription with SafetyWing ($132.56). For extra expenses, we spent $28.30 on tips, a coin purse, and extracurriculars 😉

Huaraz

After our time on the coast, we decided to head to the mountains in Huaraz, a trekking paradise. Huaraz was one of my favorite cities in Peru because I thoroughly enjoyed the city and the environment. We spent 11 days exploring Huaraz and all the best day hiking trips, and I’d love to return one day to do a few multi-day treks when I have my camping gear!

We spent a total of $740.89 in Huaraz ($33.68 per person per day), which isn’t a ton for 11 days, but it’s actually that high because we made some larger purchases this week! I lost my prescription glasses at the Lima airport somewhere, and Dylan bought a down jacket since we were getting to colder parts of Peru. Here’s the breakdown:

Food: $238.61

Despite having a kitchen to cook with in both hostels, we spent the majority of our time in Huaraz dining out, paying $175.26 at restaurants and $11.89 for groceries. We also spent $51.46 on snacks for all our hikes, including a few lunches. On average, we paid $10.84 per person daily on food, which is a pretty good price considering we mostly dined out!

Accommodations: $157.75

We stayed in two pleasant hostels in Huaraz: Alpes Huaraz for four days ($63.97) and Makalu Lodge for five days ($61.55). We had booked two dorm beds for Alpes Huaraz, but after having another go with the food poisoning from Huanchaco, we upgraded to a private room, which increased the price significantly by $32.23. However, it was a necessary cost. Being sick in another country is never fun, especially when sharing a dorm room with other travelers!

Transportation: $104.97

One thing I’ll say about Huaraz is that although the food might be cheap if you want to visit anywhere in the Cordillera Blanco (Huascarán National Park), it’ll cost you in transportation fees! Many of the popular hikes are more than an hour away and cost more than we were used to. Here’s a better breakdown:

• $41.06 bus tickets to get to Huaraz from Huanchaco
• $61.23 in day trips via colectivos
  • $2.15 to Wilcacocha and back
  • $13.38 to Laguna Wilcacocha and back
  • $21.55 to Palcacocha and back
  • $24.15 to Laguna 69 and back
• $2.68 taxi to the bus terminal

Activities & Attractions: $64.26

We paid to enter the Huascarán National Park twice, costing $32.16 in fees. We also got massages after a long hike for $32.10.

Personal Items, Extras & Bills: $53.99

We paid $9.48 for two loads of laundry and $44.51 for ibuprofen, electrolytes, sunscreen, hand cream, mouthwash, medicine, and more.  We only had one bill for $0.49 for Google storage. Lastly, we paid $120.92 on tips, sunglasses, the down jacket ($40.43), and my prescription glasses ($72.70).

Lima

After Huaraz, we headed to Lima for eight days. What a culture shock coming from northern Peru! Our time in Lima was a time to recenter before our journey south. We stayed in the Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods, though I’d highly recommend Barranco over Miraflores any day. We spent $474.91, or $29.68 per person per day. Not bad, Lima!

Food: $233.55

We went to the grocery store a few times in Lima (especially in Barranco), but for the most part, we dined out. We saw the variety of restaurants and couldn’t help ourselves after eating mostly Peruvian almuerzos, pizza, or Chinese food for two months! We spent $22.07 on groceries and $177.09 on restaurants. We also spent $34.39 on water, coffee, and snacks.

Accommodations: $131.56

We spent half of our time in the Miraflores neighborhood, where we stayed at Kaclla The Healing Dog Hostal ($60.15) for four days and the other half at Ancestral Hostal Barranco in the Barranco neighborhood ($71.41). While Barranco was a bit more expensive, we found it worth it because of the cheaper food options nearby. We also had unfriendly customer service at Kaclla, but I won’t get into that here! 

For eight days, we spent a total of $131.56 on hostels in Lima, averaging $8.22 per person per night. We stayed in dorm beds at both locations.

Transportation: $60.91

The overnight bus from Huaraz to Lima cost us $40.43. Once we got to Lima, we took $12.32 worth of Ubers and $8.16 on the bus system to get around the city (less than $1 per person per ride).

Activities & Attractions: $10.78

The only attraction we did in Lima was the $10.78 entrance fee to the San Francisco church for a tour of Lima’s underground catacombs!

Personal Items, Extras & Bills: $38.11

Our “extras” this week included a $10 bank fee for bills, $6.36 for laundry, $0.46 for two bathroom breaks, $11.85 in tour tips (we did the free walking tour!), and $9.44 for postcards, patches, and a notebook!

Paracas and Nazca

After Lima, we took two short trips to Paracas and Nazca. We wanted to break up the travel day between Lima and Arequipa, but we were also interested in what these cities offered. We spent two days in Paracas and four days in Nazca, which was originally supposed to be three, but we got stuck because of the heavy rains.

Over those six days, we spent $519.02, averaging $43.33 per person daily. But, the big spenders in these destinations come from the excursions (and bills, sadly). Here’s a breakdown: 

	Paracas (2 days)	Nazca (4 days)
Food	$61	$78.73
Accommodations	$35.89	$44.36
Transportation	$26.26	$26.86
Activities & Attractions	$51.17	$44.72
Personal Items	–	$12.32
Extras	–	$2.16
Bills	–	$135.55
TOTAL	$174.32	$344.70
Cost per person per day	$43.58	$43.08

Paracas

It cost us $26.26 to get from Lima to Paracas, and we stayed in dorm beds for two nights at Hostel Killamoon Centro for $35.89, or $8.97 per person per night. The hotel had breakfast, but we paid an additional $4.32 for scrambled eggs both mornings. We dined at restaurants four times and spent an additional $55.68. 

We bought a package deal for the tourist attractions we wanted to hit. The package included a tour to Islas Ballestas (and all entrance fees) and a scooter rental (with the entrance fee to Paracas National Reserve). We paid $51.17 total to do all of that in one day, which was well worth it for the price! We paid $174.32, or $43.58 per person per day.

Nazca

We spent longer than we thought we would in Nazca because of road closures due to heavy rains, but it turned out to be an affordable city. What’s ironic is that they hadn’t seen rain like that for years! I don’t think many tourists stop in Nazca other than to see the mysterious Nazca Lines as we did, but there are definitely other attractions around to do. We spent $344.70 or $43.08 per person over four days in Nazca.

Food: $78.73

Food in Nazca was extremely cheap, and we found a lunch spot with almuerzo deals that we kept returning for. Compared to Paracas, this city was affordable to dine out in. We spent $72.32 on meals dining out and $6.41 on snacks. The average was $9.04 per person per day, whereas in Paracas, it was $15.25 daily per person! Talk about a gnarly price difference!

Accommodations: $44.36

We had a really great experience staying at the Nazca Lodge because of the fantastic hospitality. We originally only had two nights booked, but the overnight buses to Arequipa were canceled after heavy rainfall, and the host gave us a discount to extend for another night. We paid $44.36 for three nights or $7.39 per person per night in Nazca. 

Transportation: $26.28

It cost us $21.47 to take the bus from Paracas to Nazca. Once we were there, we didn’t need to pay to get around because we were so close to the center, but we did take a $5.39 bus to the Nazca Lines Mirador and back!

Activities & Attractions: $44.72

Our main reason for going to Nazca was to see the Nazca Lines. We contacted Alas Peruanas for a collaboration where we provided a YouTube video and blog post in exchange for a free flight over the lines. We still had to pay the airport tax ($41.49). It was a great experience, but we also wanted to see the lines closer up, so we went to the Mirador and paid another $3.23 entrance fee!

Personal Items, Extras, & Bills: $150.03

In Nazca, we paid $0.27 to use a restroom, $12.05 for contact solution and deodorant, $132.56 for our monthly travel insurance, and $2.99 for an Apple bill. Dylan was also a sweetheart and bought me a chocolate and a rose for Valentine’s Day that cost $2.16!

Arequipa

Arequipa was surprisingly one of the cities that was the cheapest for us, though I think it’s because we mostly stayed around the city and didn’t wander too far. We did take one overnight trip to Cabanaconde to hike in Colca Canyon, but we took it easy in Arequipa otherwise. We spent $552.15 in Arequipa over nine days – $30.67 per person daily. Here’s more information: 

Food: $198.78

Even though we had a kitchen at our first hostel, we didn’t make a meal for ourselves once. We spent $163.10 dining out and $35.68 on snacks. Our total food expenditure was $198.78, or $11.04 per person per day. That’s surprisingly not the highest we’ve seen for food and dining out! We ate a lot of doner kebabs, pizza, and Peruvian food in Arequipa. 

Accommodations: $141.54

We moved around a ton during our time in Arequipa. We didn’t necessarily plan on it, but that’s how it worked out. We booked our first hostel (Econunay) for three nights ($45.48 total) and decided to take a trip to spend the night in Cabanaconde ($21.72) so we could do a multi-day trek the next day in Colca Canyon and stay overnight in Llahuar Lodge ($24.57). Then, when we went back to Arequipa, Econunay was booked out, so we stayed at Viajero Arequipa instead for two nights ($49.77).

We spent $141.54 in Arequipa and Colca Canyon (over nine days), or $11.79 per person per night. In Econunay and Viajero Arequipa, we stayed in dorm beds, and in Cabanaconde and Llahuar, we booked private rooms. 

 Transportation: $89.96

We took the overnight bus from Nazca to Arequipa, which cost us $53.95. Once in the city, we bought $8.85 worth of Ubers (four trips total) because we found them extremely affordable. Lastly, we bought our bus tickets to Cabanaconde and back for $27.16.

Activities & Attractions: $37.55

The only activity we did in Arequipa was visiting Colca Canyon. The entrance fee was $37.55 to enter, but we were covered for two days of trekking.

Personal Items, Extras & Bills: $84.32

Last but certainly not least, our extra expenses in Arequipa consisted of $3.28 for tips and luggage fees, $18.46 for two loads of laundry (yikes!), $0.54 in bathroom breaks, $6.78 for a medical exam (Dylan got bit by a dog in Colca Canyon), and $3.27 in mouthwash. We also paid $3.24 for Google storage and a new weekly fee of $48.75 for therapy.

Cusco and The Sacred Valley

Out of all the places we traveled to in Peru, we spent the longest time in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The reason we stayed so long in Cusco is that we arrived a week before our scheduled 5-Day Salkantay Trek with KB Adventures.

After the trek, we were supposed to have two weeks before we were going to embark on the 4-Day Inca Trail. However, the trail was closed due to weather and landslides. We stayed in Cusco anyway and spent time exploring the Sacred Valley and the surrounding area.

We spent 28 days in the area, spending $2,250.06. That’s $40.17 per person per day. Since we did multiple excursions and explored the Sacred Valley, the price is pretty decent! Here’s a better breakdown by city:

	Cusco (20 days)	Pisac (3 days)	Ollantaytambo (1 day)	Urubamba (4 days)
Food	$427.67	$72.71	$19.87	$37.08
Accommodations	$249.31	$38.61	$30.51	$58.44
Transportation	$159.65	$10.08	$8.29	$26.95
Activities & Attractions	$371.60	$87.65	–	$10.93
Personal Items	$60.24	$9.71	$13.50	–
Extras	$164.38	$22.48	–	$14.62
Bills	$287.03	$20	–	$48.75
TOTAL	$1,719.88	$261.24	$72.17	$196.77
Cost per person per day	$42.99	$43.54	$36.08	$24.59

Cusco

Cusco acted as our home base for a while, between the Salkantay Trek, the Sacred Valley, and the day trips. Cusco is an affordable destination in terms of accommodations, transportation, and food, but once you start looking into activities and attractions, your wallet starts to feel it! However, the things to do around Cusco make it a fantastic place to visit, and I’m very glad that we decided to do so much during our time there.

We spent $1,719.88 in Cusco and during the 5-Day Salkantay Trek. On average, that’s $42.99 per person per day. I find this a very affordable price, considering this includes a 5-day all-inclusive trek and our tickets to Machu Picchu. Let’s dive further into the specifics: 

Food: $427.67

The first hostel we stayed in had a kitchen, and we bought groceries then, but after the Salkantay Trek, we moved to a hotel and didn’t have access to cook. Additionally, we were in full-force work mode, so we ordered take-out frequently through Rapi.

We spent a total of $288.93 on take-out, restaurants, and groceries, and $138.74 on water, snacks, and cappuccinos. That’s $427.67 total, or $10.69 per person, per day. That’s actually not so bad for ordering take-out 75% of the time!

Accommodations: $249.31

We stayed in three places in Cusco, not including our included accommodations for the 5-Day Salkantay Trek: OkiDoki hostel for six nights before the trek ($64.96 – private room), Enede for two nights after the trek ($26.78 – private room), and Hidden Garden Hotel for seven nights after that ($157.57 – private room).

If we deduct the four nights during the Salkantay Trek, the price equals $8.31 per person per night. For private rooms at three different places, this is a steal! We found prices comparable to booking a private room versus two dorm beds across Cusco.

Transportation: $159.65

We used many different transportation options in Cusco – taxis and buses around town, colectivos to the Sacred Valley, and even a scooter rental to explore the Cusco ruins! Here’s a breakdown of our transportation costs –

• Overnight bus from Arequipa: $44.66
• Ubers, taxis, & buses around town: $14.14
• Colectivos to the Sacred Valley: $70.41
  • $13.72 to Aguas Calientes
  • $4.38 Chinchero back to Cusco
  • $10.02 Bus to Checacupe & back
  • $41.29 taxi to Rainbow Mountain
• Scooter Rental to nearby archeological sites (and gas!): $30.44

Activities & Attractions: $371.60

While we were in Cusco, we did three activities and attractions. The first was the 5-Day Salkantay Trek with KB Adventures for $333.16 (we got a 50% discount for our collaboration). On the trek, we decided to do the hot springs in Colcamayo for $27.43. And for the third, we paid $11.01 to enter Rainbow Mountain.

Personal Items: $60.24

We found Cusco pretty affordable for laundry, as we spent $16.12 on three loads! We paid $3.43 for bathroom breaks, $22.90 for medicine (darn sickness wouldn’t leave!), and $17.79 for miscellaneous things like a hot shower, contact solution, patching Dylan’s jacket, and buying soap.

Extras: $164.38

We ran into a bit of a “YouTubers emergency,” I’ll call it when we tried to clean our camera sensor the day before our Salkantay Trek collaboration and ended up paying $43.02 for a camera cleansing kit. We also bought some miscellaneous stuff, like a new hat, gel pens, a haircut, etc., for $18.90. To wrap it up, we also paid $102.46 in tips, most of that going to our 5-Day Salkantay Trek guides, cooks, and horsemen.

Bills: $287.03

Over twenty days, we paid for three sessions of therapy ($146.25), our monthly subscription to travel insurance ($132.56), and three charges for iPhone storage ($8.22).

Pisac

We spent three days in Pisac and would’ve spent more time there if we’d had the chance! We stayed on the outskirts of town in the Wolf Totem Steam Punk Guesthouse for two nights in a private room for $38.61 total or $9.65 per person per night.

We spent a little too much on activities and attractions ($87.65), but that’s because we bought the Tourist Ticket (boleto turistico) to explore the surrounding Inca Sites for the next ten days. We also went to an ecstatic dance one night, as one does in Pisac ($16.42).

Transportation was affordable to and around Pisac, and we spent $10.08 on colectivos and moto-taxis. We didn’t have a kitchen, so we dined out and bought snacks for our day trip to the archeological site for $72.71. We also stocked up on some toiletry items for $9.71, bought some tea tree oil for $22.48, and had $20 worth of bank fees. We spent $261.24 in Pisac, or $43.54 per person daily.

Ollantaytambo

We only spent a night and a day in Ollantaytambo but knew we wanted to visit when we heard it was the gateway to Machu Picchu. We spent our night at Ollantaytambo Mountain View House in a dorm room for $30.51 (we expected it’d be more spendy), which was $15.26 – I believe the most expensive hostel we’ve had in Peru.

We spent $8.29 traveling to Ollantaytambo from Pisac by colectivo and taxi and $13.50 on cold medicine. We also spent $19.87 on breakfast, lunch, and snacks. We paid $72.17 in Ollantaytambo or $36.08 per person daily. We visited the archeological site but had already purchased the tourist ticket at Pisac.

Urubamba

We spent more time in Urubamba than we did in Ollantaytambo because, for one, it was cheaper, and for two, it was a perfect hub for all the sites we wanted to visit – Moray, Salinas de Maras, and Chinchero. We spent four days in Urumbamba, spending $196.77, or $24.59 per person daily. We can thank the kitchen at the hostel for that!

We stayed once again on the outskirts of town at Mystical Adventures Campground for $58.44 ($9.74 per person, per night). Since there was a kitchen on site, we only spent $37.08 on food and snacks during our entire stay. We paid $10.93 to enter the salt mines, but the tourist ticket covered both Moray and Chinchero. 

We paid $48.75 for a therapy session and $14.62 for souvenirs. Transportation costs were higher because we split a taxi to take us to Moray and Salinas de Maras on the same day ($16.39). On top of that, we paid $6.48 on buses and $4.08 on taxis around town, making our transportation costs total $26.95.

Puno & The Uros Islands

Our very last stop in Peru was Puno and Uros Island, and man, was that a way to end our trip on a cool note! We stayed in Puno for two nights and on Uros Island for one night in a homestay. The homestay on the island was the most we spent on accommodation since our time in Peru, but we felt like it was an experience worth paying for!

Overall, we spent 249.63 in Puno, or on average $41.60 per person, per day. Here’s a better breakdown of what we spent in Puno and the Uros Islands:

	Puno (2 days)	Uros Island (1 day)
Food	$66.72	$16.41
Accommodations	$28.42	$37
Transportation	$23.62	$9.49
Personal Items	$9.31	–
Extras	$9.91	–
Bills	$48.75	–
TOTAL	$186.73	$62.90
Cost per person per day	$46.68	$31.45

Puno: $186.73

We spent two full days in Puno – one before we ventured onto the island and one after. We really enjoyed the town, and there was some yummy pizza there, too! The boardwalk by the lake was also extremely enjoyable to stroll through. We spent in total of $186.73, or $46.68 per person, per day in Puno.

We dined out for every meal and spent $66.72 in total. We paid $23.62 in transportation fees ($13.76 to get there and $9.86 on taxis and colectivos around town). We stayed at Hostal Vista al Lago Lake Titicaca in a private room for $28.42, or $7.10 per person, per night. We also bought a $9.91 handwoven bag, $48.75 for a therapy session, and $9.31 for laundry. 

Uros Island: $62.90

Uros was the perfect bang to end our trip in Peru, because what’s cooler than spending the night on a man-made reed floating island!? The biggest expense was the $37 room a night at Uros Munay Wasi Lodge ($18.50 per person), but what we didn’t know is that the room includes a tour of the island and a demonstration of reed cutting – thanks, Luis! 

We also bought dinner from the hostel family that evening for $12.07, and we bought some snacks and water for the meantime ($4.34). It cost us $9.49 to get a ride to the island and back from Puno. That’s pretty much all we spent on the island, which isn’t too bad for an experience like this one!

More Budget Information For Backpacking Peru

Now that I’ve covered what I’ve spent in Peru as a budget backpacker, let’s get into more about what this means for you!

Money & ATM’s in Peru

One of the best things I ever did for myself before leaving for South America was get a zero-international-fee debit card. There are plenty out there, but Dylan and I use a Charles Schwab checking account and a Capital One Venture Card. However, even if you don’t have one – use the Banco de la Nación or Multired ATM’s to withdraw cash because they don’t add ATM fees! 

Staying Past Your Visa!?

As Americans, we only had 90 days to explore Perú, but our dilemma was that we booked Machu Picchu after our visa expired. We talked to the immigration office in Lima, and they said we could (as of 2024) pay 5 soles each day we went over our visa at the border (about $1.50 a day at the time). Make sure to always check immigration rules because they’re always changing!

What Should You Budget For Peru!?

There are many different types of traveling, and what works for me might not work for you. There’s no shame in that! It’s better to plan realistically for your travel and lifestyle so that you have enough money to truly enjoy yourself on your trip. Here’s a general breakdown of what you can expect to save up for during a trip to Peru:

Expense Category	Shoestring Adventurer	Budget-Savvy Explorer	Comfort-Seeking Nomad	Luxe-Globetrotter
Food	$10 – $15	$15 – $25	$25 – $40	$40+
Accommodations	$6 – $10	$12 – $25	$30 – $60	$80+
Transportation	$4 – $7	$7 – $15	$15 – $30	$40+
Activities & Attractions	$3 – $7	$10 – $25	$30 – $60	$75+
Total Daily Budget	$25 – $40	$45 – $90	$100 – $190	$250+

Take The Travel Budget Style Quiz Here! 
Get your budget style results by entering your name and email address to find out if you’re a shoestring adventurer, budget-savvy explorer, comfort-seeking nomad, or luxe-globetrotter.

Wrapping Up: Our Backpacking Peru 4-Month Travel Budget!

Well, there you have it! A complete breakdown of our 109-day trip to Peru. I hope this post has shed some light on typical tourist prices for a budget backpacker so you can plan your travel budget accordingly! Remember to save more than you think, and have the time of your life!

Until next time!