Grocery Shopping in Cusco, Peru & Price Chart of Items
Inside Orion Grocery Store in Cusco
If thinking of a move to or long-term stay in Cusco, Peru you most likely want to know two things: where to buy your groceries and how much it’s going to cost!
Below are prices for a few items bought at both of the two grocery stores in town – Orion & Mega. There are a few identical ones (litre of milk, apples per kilo, etc.) listed for both stores so you can compare prices.
You can browse through the ailes of Orion by viewing this short YouTube video:
Orion is located across from the main farmer’s market at Union #70. Mega grocery stores are located throughout Cusco but the closest one to Plaza de Armas is located at Matara #271.
Orion has a much larger selection of imported items and ‘specialty’ goods such as bottles of curry sauce, garlic black bean sauce, flavored pretzels, pickled baby asparagas spears and artichoke hearts, etc.
The Bakery at a Mega Grocery Store - One of the Only Places to Buy Baguettes in Cusco!
Mega is special for one main reason… make that two! It has a bakery onsite – one of the only places in town to find French-style baguettes (most street bakeries do not make them) – and prices for many items are 15% or more less than at Orion (compare below). Only exception below is for imported Nestle Nesquick Cereal.
The prices below are for 2012 and have been converted into US dollars. At time of conversion $1 USD equaled 2.6 soles. Real-time exchange rates can be found here: Currency Calculator
Prices of Commonly Purchased Items at Orion in Cusco
| litre milk = $1.20 | whole chicken (per kilo) = $3.00 |
| Kosher Baby Dill Whole Pickles (473 ml) = $6.70 | Nestle Nesquick Cereal (230 g) = $3.30 |
| Nature Valley Granola Bars (12 bars) = $4.13 | red apples (per kilo) = $2.60 |
Prices of Commonly Purchased Items at Mega in Cusco
| litre milk = 96 cents | whole chicken (per kilo) = $2.60 |
| Nestle Nesquick Cereal (230 g) = $4.70 | Manteguilla/butter (100 g) = 98 cents |
| Coca Cola (2.25 litre) = $1.90 | Act III Popcorn (1 pkg) = $1.14 |
| Avocado (per kilo) = $2.30 | red apples (per kilo) = $1.30 |
Similar to most areas in Peru, the best place to buy fruits and vegetables at the lowest cost is the local farmer’s market.
The Entrance to Orion Across From the Market
Photographs & video by Molly McHugh, all rights reserved.
