Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arequipa and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Arequipa $709
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Arequipa $1,117
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Arequipa $1,524
Medellin $3,199

Arequipa is about 56% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arequipa sits 48% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.87

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-58.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 PEN 95.8

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-40.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 PEN 20.37

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-35.82%

Cappuccino

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$3.05 COP 9,676

-20.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$1.80 COP 5,707

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$1.38 COP 4,382

-71.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 PEN 7.16

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-35.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 PEN 14.68

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-23.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$1.50 COP 4,760

-10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$2.37 COP 7,508

-42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$1.70 COP 5,377

-14.71%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.85

$2.96 COP 9,379

-22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PEN 21.47

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-38.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 PEN 15.75

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-52.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.16

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-47.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-57.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$1.53 COP 4,839

-22.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$2.22 COP 7,052

-49.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$2.27 COP 7,194

-56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.29

$1.99 COP 6,311

-66.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$1.67 COP 5,285

-59.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.18 COP 3,742

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.60

$1.24 COP 3,919

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 PEN 17.62

$3.87 COP 12.3K

32.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 PEN 17.80

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-62.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.17

$1.66 COP 5,256

60.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PEN 7.90

$2.40 COP 7,615

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$1.24 COP 3,944

-77.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$1.28 COP 4,044

57.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$2.15 COP 6,803

-6.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.01 PEN 44.68

$8.37 COP 26.5K

55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.28

$1.35 COP 4,288

14.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-45.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-27.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$23.36 PEN 80.2

$167 COP 528.4K

-85.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.26 PEN 35.24

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-24.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 PEN 80.5

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-19.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 PEN 86.1

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-44.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 PEN 27.47

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-53.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 PEN 25.24

$6.97 COP 22.1K

5.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$75.3 PEN 258

$790 COP 2.5M

-90.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-27.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 PEN 164

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 PEN 90.7

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-54.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PEN 232

$139 COP 440.7K

-51.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 PEN 198

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-41.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,192

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 813

$620 COP 2.0M

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,471

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 PEN 1,439

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-58.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 PEN 6,740

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-50.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 PEN 3,397

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-41.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 PEN 2,125

$663 COP 2.1M

-6.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

37.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$237 33.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 162% $383

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 71.3% $124

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 73.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 92.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 267% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 48.4% $19

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 621% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Arequipa versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $298 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Medellin 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arequipa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 129% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Arequipa and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.