Peru for Americans: visa, cost of living and safety

Getting in on a US passport

No visa needed. The border officer decides your stay, usually 90 days, and you can't extend it from inside Peru; the cap is 183 days in any 365, and overstays are fined per day when you leave. Your passport needs 6 months' validity on entry.

Staying longer

The rentista residency requires at least $1,000 a month in pension or passive income, and remote-work pay doesn't count toward it. A digital nomad visa was written into law in 2023, but as of April 2026 it still wasn't taking applications.

What a month costs

Lean: about $930 a month. Comfortable: about $1,360 a month. One person, rent included.

Lima. Numbeo (updated Sep 16, 2026): $591 a month single-person costs without rent, plus a 1-bed outside the centre at $342 (low) or in the centre at $764 (comfortable).

Where to base yourself

Lima (Miraflores/Barranco)

It has the main international airport with nonstop LATAM flights to LAX and the biggest expat scene, and these two districts are where most foreigners rent.

Arequipa

Rent is cheaper than in Lima, the weather is dry and mild, and there are short domestic flights to Lima and Cusco.

Cusco

It's the base for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley and has plenty of foreigners, but it sits at about 3,400 m, so take the altitude seriously for the first few days.

Heads up

Use app taxis, not cabs you flag on the street, and watch your drink: the State Dept reports robberies using drugs like scopolamine. Never carry a bag or package through the airport for anyone, because drug cases mean long pre-trial detention.

Emergency numbers

Police: 105
Ambulance: 106 (SAMU); 113 general emergency line per US State Dept
Tourist police: 0800-22221
Anti-trafficking: Línea 1818 (Ministry of the Interior complaints line, free)
US Embassy: +51-1-618-2000

Level 2 – Exercise increased caution (reissued May 16, 2025). Do not travel to the Colombia–Peru border area in Loreto or the VRAEM river valleys. Parts of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica and Junín are also flagged, but Cusco city and Machu Picchu are excluded.

Practical

Currency: Peruvian sol (PEN)
Plugs: A, C (220 V, 60 Hz)
Nonstop flight from the US: Yes
Typical door-to-door from LAX: about 9 hours

18+ only. If you see anyone who looks underage, or anyone being forced to work, call the anti-trafficking number above or the police. Rules change: check the embassy and immigration sites before you book.