Cash still rules outside the smart districts. MultiRed ATMs charge no local fee and give up to S/ 2,000; commercial banks charge S/ 15 to S/ 35 and cap you at S/ 700. Check your change - counterfeit notes are handed back to tourists routinely.
- MultiRed ATMs are the ones to find - no local fee on a foreign card and a S/ 2,000 single withdrawal limit.
- Commercial banks are much worse, charging S/ 15 to S/ 35 per withdrawal and capping you at S/ 400 to S/ 700, which is a punishing combination.
- Counterfeit note swapping is routine - your genuine S/ 50 is exchanged for a fake and handed back as "no good".
- Pay with small notes where you can and look at any note handed back to you. Real ones have a clear watermark and a raised, rough feel.
- Airport exchange is 10% to 15% below market, so change a minimum there and use a casa de cambio in town for anything larger.
Money and paying for things
Peru uses the Peruvian sol (PEN, S/).
- Cash is still the default for street food, combis, taxis, craft markets and anywhere outside a city centre. Cards work in hotels, supermarkets and formal restaurants in Lima, Cusco and Arequipa.
- MultiRed ATMs (Banco de la Nacion) are the ones to find. No local terminal fee on a foreign card and a single withdrawal limit of S/ 2,000.
- Commercial banks are much worse: BCP, Interbank and BBVA charge S/ 15 to S/ 35 per foreign-card withdrawal and cap single withdrawals at S/ 400 to S/ 700. That combination is punishing.
- Never use a standalone street machine - skimming risk plus the worst fees.
- Decline dynamic currency conversion and choose PEN; the markup for accepting is 5% to 12%.
- Airport exchange is 10% to 15% below market. Change a minimum there and use a casa de cambio in Miraflores, or a licensed librecambista in an official numbered vest, for anything larger.
Check your notes
Counterfeit note swapping is a routine scam here. A taxi driver or vendor takes your genuine S/ 50 or S/ 100, hands back a fake and says yours was no good. Two habits defeat it: pay with small notes where you can, and look at any note handed back to you - real ones have a clear watermark and a raised, rough feel to the printing.
Tipping
Not customary in picanterias or chifas. 10% in a mid-range or upmarket urban restaurant for good service. Hotel porters get S/ 2 to S/ 5 a bag.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Espresso or cappuccino | S/ 8 to 15 |
| Menu del dia set lunch | S/ 10 to 20 |
| Mid-range restaurant, per person | S/ 35 to 80 |
| Bottled water, 1 litre | S/ 2.50 to 5 |
| Combi or Metropolitano fare | S/ 1.50 to 3.20 |
| Taxi, per kilometre | S/ 3 to 5, base S/ 7 to 10 |
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