Once you’ve started working from home, you might’ve realized that home can be anywhere you make it. The days of having to get up when it’s still dark outside just to sit in traffic jams are now gone, and you’re free to work remotely, as long as you have access to the internet. Therefore, you can now join millions of people who call themselves digital nomads. It might be just about time to switch your home office for sunshine, lush landscapes, and an explosion of culture.
Some digital nomads choose to stay in one place for longer, while others prefer to travel through various countries, so there are really no rules telling you what you can or can’t do – the choice is yours. Most popular destinations for digital nomads include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, or even Cambodia. But if you’re looking for a unique place with huge cultural, historical, and gastronomic possibilities, you should consider Peru as your destination.
To help guide you through your digital nomad adventure in Peru, read on for how to navigate everything from the costs of living to places worth exploring.
Where to Live in Peru
Lima, which is the capital of Peru and one of the largest cities in South America, might be the best choice if you’re looking for a place to live in this country. It’s considered Peru’s political, economic, industrial, cultural, financial, and commercial center. It’s located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and flanked by a coastal desert and extends over the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac, and Lurín rivers. Around 10 million people live in Lima.
The city of Cuzco is another popular destination and could make for a great place to live and work. Cuzco is located in the Sacred Valley in the center of Peru, and despite being a fairly large city with its own airport, it’s much quieter and slower-paced than Lima. Cuzco would be an excellent choice for those who prioritize physical activity. It’s the place where you can try Salkantay Trek Peru, which will take you 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, to Machu Picchu – the most visited tourist destination in Peru. However, you don’t have to live in Cuzco to take full advantage of all the trekking possibilities because the city is incredibly well-connected with Lima.
If you decide to stay in Lima, which could be your best bet for a long-term home base in Peru, Miraflores and Barranco are usually the neighborhoods where most tourists and digital nomads are looking for accommodation due to how safe they are. Both are filled with stores and cafes and are situated on the coast with access to promenades as well as parks with astonishing ocean views. In addition, while it wasn’t listed as the best place to drive an Uber (here, you can find out more about Uber Black driver requirements), taxis operate normally there and will drive you safely around Lima.
The Best Time to Go to Peru
Before you go ahead and book the ticket to this extraordinary South American country, you should take a closer look at the climate of Peru. Peru is located entirely in the tropics but features desert and mountain climates, as well as tropical rain forests. Generally speaking, there are two main seasons: wet and dry, but in a country as geographically diverse as Peru, local weather patterns vary greatly. For example, it’s not uncommon to experience all four seasons in a single day.
The best time to visit and stay in Peru might be during the dry season between May and October, especially if you plan to do lots of trekking and sightseeing or go on long trips outside the capital city. In July and August, coastal cities such as Lima get to experience plenty of foggy and humid weather, and the sun often stays covered by thick clouds for weeks at a time. While Lima can be charming at any time of the year, it’s most beautiful from December to April – these months offer little rain but lots of warm summer weather (sometimes upward of 80 degrees).
Digital Nomad Visa in Peru
If you want to enter Peru, your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining at the time of your entry. A tourist visa can be valid for 30, 60, 90, and 183-days. Upon entering the country, unless you ask for 183 days, you’re most likely to be issued a visa until your return ticket. For example, if your plan is to stay in Peru for 50 days, you’ll get a 60-day visa. You won’t be able to extend a tourist visa while in Peru. Overstaying your visa will result in having to pay a fine of $1.50 for every day of your overstay, which must be paid in cash upon exit.
You can’t work with a tourist visa, so if you’re a digital nomad entering Peru, it would be in a good sense not to mention this fact. As a digital nomad, you work online, and you’re officially a tourist, and that’s how you should present yourself to the immigration officers. If you wish to stay in Peru longer than for the maximum of 183 days, you will need to apply for a temporary residency permit, also known as rentista visa.
Currently, due to the dynamically changing epidemic situation, you will also have to stay on top of all the coronavirus updates and travel restrictions regarding entering Peru.
Costs of Living in Peru
Overall, Peru is a fairly cheap country to live in, especially for people coming from countries such as the US. However, foreign travelers and digital nomads should pay close attention to the places they choose to live in during their stay.
Accommodation
In Lima, foreigners usually choose to stay in Miraflores and Barranco, which are both safe neighborhoods, but safety comes at a price. Lima is the most expensive city in Peru, and at the same time, one of the more expensive cities in South America that’s not located in Brazil. For these reasons, you should expect to spend at least $1,500 USD per month if you choose to live in bustling Miraflores, or around $1,300 USD per month if you decide to go with a bit quieter Barranco.
Food
The prices of basic products are quite low. If you don’t like to cook, you will have no trouble finding plenty of restaurants around that serve everything from traditional Peruvian dishes such as ceviche or lomo saltado (stir-fry beef) to fast foods like pizza. Drinks tend to be quite affordable as well, so it’s fairly easy to have a good time socializing and dining without spending too much cash. A typical lunch in Lima offered by most restaurants can cost you anywhere from $1.80 USD to $5.40. Estimated monthly costs (without rent) for a single person are $462 (1,807 Peruvian soles).
Internet
Internet access in Peru is good but not flawless. Depending on your location, connection speeds can range from annoyingly slow to impressively fast. If your job doesn’t require rapid downloads or streaming, you shouldn’t experience any significant issues. When out and about, you can find Wi-Fi connections in trendy internet cafes, restaurants, bars, and places such as hotels or hostels.
In Peru, it’s relatively easy to find stores that sell sim cards with data. Depending on how much data you plan to use and how long you’re staying in the country, you can buy a package called Tourist Sim Card for a few dollars, which will give you around 2GB of data for 15 days. This should be enough to check your email and chat with friends and family.
Things to Do in Peru
Digital nomads who enjoy sightseeing and taking photos to show to friends and family back home can visit colorful Plaza de Armas, which is located in the historic district and flanked by the cathedral, as well as several palaces, including Palacio Arzobispal. History-lovers should make sure to see Huaca Pucllana, a pyramid that is around 1,500 years old. The complex includes the pyramid and a small museum filled with artifacts. If you’re passionate about art, then you can make Museo Larco your top destination. There are thousands of pieces in the museum’s collection, and they represent over 5,000 years of Peruvian history.
If you prefer active forms of leisure, there are plenty of beaches and thus opportunities to try surfing or paragliding. If your work hours are flexible enough, you can travel from Lima to Cuzco and from there set out on a trek to Machu Picchu.
The most popular one is the Inca trek, which takes about 4 days. However, many tourists prefer the 5-day-long Salkantay trek, which is more popular than Inca, because it offers a more diverse trekking experience, leading from massive snow peaks in the Andes to the warm tropical jungle. The third alternative is the Lares trek, which is little known but worth trying. It’s not as challenging as the Salkantay trek, not as busy as the traditional Inca trek, and takes about 4 days from start to finish.
On top of that, Lima itself is a bustling city with tons of nightlife spots such as cocktail bars, nightclubs, and casinos to keep you entertained. There’s always something to do there.
Overall, living in Peru as a digital nomad can be a fun and enriching experience. The living costs are quite sensible, the internet connection should be stable enough to let you work with no issues, and there are plenty of safe places for foreigners to live. Being able to speak Spanish in Peru is quite important, but if you decide to live in Lima, learning some basic phrases in this language should be enough to get by. The food tastes great, and if you come at the right time of the year, the weather will be simply blissful. It’s an excellent place for digital nomads who want to work remotely while traveling and having a great home base.
