---
title: "Cusco vs Salento for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cusco-vs-salento
description: "Under balanced weights Salento edges it, 53 to 51, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cusco is stronger on safety; Salento on cost of living, healthcare. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cusco vs Salento for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Salento edges it, 53 to 51, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cusco is stronger on safety; Salento on cost of living, healthcare. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 47 | 60 | Salento |
| Safety | 44 | 25 | Cusco |
| Healthcare | 62 | 74 | Salento |
| Internet | 62 | 60 | Cusco |
| Visa ease | 75 | 77 | Salento |
| Getting there & around | 38 | 34 | Cusco |
| Climate | 0 | 8 | Salento |
| Air quality | 75 | 80 | Salento |
| Quality of life | 55 | 54 | Cusco |

## Cost

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,383 | $1,000 | Salento |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 8.6 | 24.35 | Cusco |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.9 | 48.9 | Cusco |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | 82 | Salento |
| Life expectancy | 71.7 yrs | 74.5 yrs | Salento |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 22.6 Mbps | 20.9 Mbps | Cusco |
| Upload | 13.3 Mbps | 12.1 Mbps | Cusco |

## Visa

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) | Salento |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,605/mo | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 90 days | Cusco |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 90 days | Cusco |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 6 | 7 | Salento |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Cusco |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cusco | Salento | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 1 | Salento |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.4 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | Salento |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cusco or Salento?

Salento is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,383 for one person.

### Is Cusco or Salento safer?

Cusco scores higher on safety (44 vs 25), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cusco or Salento?

Cusco: a measured median of 22.6 Mbps versus 20.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cusco](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cusco) · [Salento](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/salento). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cusco-vs-salento