Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Busan (Pusan)?
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 Busan (Pusan) or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Busan (Pusan) 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: Busan (Pusan) or Cusco?
Busan (Pusan)
An important port city in South Korea, Busan is known for its beaches, mountains, and temples. With a thriving harbor, the city's main revenue comes from international shipping, although the area is quite popular with tourists from all over the globe, too. The place is bustling with sailors from around the world as well as tourists who come to enjoy the culture of this modern and dynamic city.
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 South Korea, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Seoul, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Busan (Pusan) Prices
South Korea PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBusan (Pusan) $104Cusco $64
The average daily cost (per person) in Busan (Pusan) is $104, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $64. 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 Busan (Pusan) and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBusan (Pusan) $39Cusco $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBusan (Pusan) $78Cusco $48
Compare Hotels in Busan (Pusan) and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Busan (Pusan) 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: Busan (Pusan) Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Busan (Pusan) $20Cusco $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Busan (Pusan)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Busan (Pusan):
- Private Transfer from Busan Cruise Port to Busan Hotels: $66
- Private Transfer from Busan Gimhae Int Airport(PUS) to Busan Port: $66
- Private Transfer from Busan Port to Busan Gimhae Int Airport(PUS): $66
- Private Transfer from Busan Cruise Port to Busan Int Airport(PUS): $66
- Private Transfer from Busan Int Airport(PUS) to Busan Cruise Port: $66
- Private Transfer Gaimhae Airport to Busan City: $85
- Busan Airport to Busan Hotels Round-Trip Private Transfer: $125
- Busan Gimhae Airport (PUS) to Busan - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $137
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$1.15
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 Busan (Pusan) or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Busan (Pusan) 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 dayBusan (Pusan) $44Cusco $24
Typical Food Prices in Busan (Pusan)
Some typical examples of dining costs in Busan (Pusan) are as follows:
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McDonald's$4.43
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Carp Bread$0.72
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Busan (Pusan)
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Busan (Pusan).
- Busan history and market food tour with local chef: $53
- Busan Tailored Korean cooking class (Vegan OK)with market tour: $95
- Busan seafood tour : Cod Auction and Clam Auction in Winter: $99
- Korean cooking class in Haeundae, Busan : $100
- Busan Local Food Cooking Class with Market Tour: $114
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.29
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Mango$0.57
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.Busan (Pusan) $20Cusco $31
Tours and Activities in Busan (Pusan)
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Busan (Pusan) are as follows:
- Busan Dynamic Maze Discount Ticket Foreigner Only: $12
- Museum 1 Exhibition Ticket in Busan (내국인 불가): $12
- Busan CLUBD OASIS Spa and Water Park Ticket: $15
- Busan Yacht Tour with Music: $26
- Japanese Occupation and Korean War Historical Tour in Busan: $29
- Full-Day Tour Unmissable things to do in Busan: $38
- Busan 9 Highlights Tour: $40
- Eden Valley Ski and Snowboard Tour from Busan : $41
- Jinhae Cherry Blossom Day trip from Busan - A Spring Adventure!: $47
- Naejangsan Fall Foliage Tour from Busan with Seoul Drop-off: $47
- Authentic Busan Full-Day City Highlights Tour: $48
- Busan Full-Day City Tour with Gamcheon Village, Sea Temple & more: $49
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$2.87
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 dayBusan (Pusan) $12Cusco $10
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 Busan (Pusan) and Cusco, we can see that Busan (Pusan) is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Busan (Pusan) is in Asia 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 Busan (Pusan) would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Busan (Pusan) 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 Busan (Pusan) Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Busan (Pusan) or Cusco?
Busan (Pusan) has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Busan (Pusan) 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.