Money and costs

Money and costs

The currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol (PEN). You will find ATM machines in virtually every smaller town and village, bus and train terminals. With the exception of train fares and entry into Machu Picchu and one or two exceptions, Peru is a very affordable destination. Credit card payments are only possible in the most sophisticated establishments in Peru. A traveler willing to travel backpacker style and willing to give up almost all the refinement and comfort, can perfectly explore Peru for less than €40 per day. From the opposite perspective, a single day visit to Machu Picchu – train, buses, accommodation, entrance and food – will always cost you a minimum of €120, with a single day ticket costing around €35 ​​(50 % discount for ISIC card holders), children up to 7 years old are free to enter.

ACCOMMODATION

Peruvian inns and hotels reflect the weakness of the country's economy. They are plentiful and have very affordable prices. From a mere €5 for double rooms of guest houses for backpackers (cold water and communal bathroom), €10 to €20 for modest hotel rooms, an average of €40 to €100 per night for a double room in the best hotels.

FOOD

Peruvian food is as rich and diverse as it is cheap. Ceviches and fresh fish and seafood dishes have surprisingly low prices along the coast. Inland, you will find dishes criollos without end. Invigorating lunches from food corrients they can cost as little as €1 to €2 per person in the most popular restaurants. More refined restaurants in Lima and other Peruvian cities will obviously have higher prices, albeit always below those charged, for example, in Europe.

INTERNET

If the guest houses or a hotel in which you are staying that does not offer Internet, it will be easy to find an Internet Café nearby, even in the most insignificant towns. Barring last minute changes and especially outside of Lima, the browsing speed should prove to be slow – ADSL in the order of 512 MB or even less. Prices are between €0,40 and €0,80 per hour.

The mobile phone network is quite acceptable, with 3G in most of the country. If traveling with a smart phone, tablet or laptop computer can buy a SIM/modem/Pen card from a company like Clear and have permanent access to the Internet.