Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayacucho and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
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Ayacucho Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ayacucho 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 Ayacucho and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $474 in Ayacucho versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Ayacucho $474
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $766 in Ayacucho versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Ayacucho $766
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,058 in Ayacucho versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Ayacucho $1,058
Medellin $3,186

Living in Ayacucho costs roughly 71% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ayacucho is 65% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 PEN 5.82

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-79.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

Cappuccino

$1.78 PEN 6.12

$3.01 COP 9,485

-40.86%

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

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.80 COP 5,660

-49.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.41 COP 4,443

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PEN 5.08

$3.18 COP 9,990

-53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 PEN 15.09

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-23.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$1.77 COP 5,573

-68.36%

Eggs

$1.79 PEN 6.17

$2.89 COP 9,093

-38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.95 PEN 10.18

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-71.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 PEN 14.73

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-56.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.66 PEN 19.50

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-59.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.08

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-70.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$1.55 COP 4,883

-63.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PEN 2.09

$2.18 COP 6,867

-72.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.93

$2.18 COP 6,870

-74.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.05

$1.96 COP 6,174

-84.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.59 COP 5,000

-81.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$1.15 COP 3,604

-75.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$1.24 COP 3,911

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 PEN 20.32

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-56.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 PEN 10.27

$1.66 COP 5,221

79.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 15.16

$2.26 COP 7,103

94.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

$1.17 COP 3,674

-47.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.47 PEN 122

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-54.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 PEN 7.80

$1.27 COP 3,989

77.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 PEN 3.95

$2.05 COP 6,442

-43.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 PEN 14.85

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-49.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.88

$1.35 COP 4,237

26.67%

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

$9,956 PEN 34.3K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-70.77%

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

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-64.47%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$11.47 PEN 39.52

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 PEN 59.2

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-38.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.48 PEN 49.91

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-66.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 PEN 101

$17.19 COP 54.1K

71.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 PEN 15.31

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-35.75%

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

$72.4 PEN 250

$797 COP 2.5M

-90.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.29 PEN 59.6

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-79.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.45 PEN 91.2

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-54.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 PEN 353

$135 COP 424.6K

-24.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 PEN 355

$97.9 COP 307.9K

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 PEN 1,180

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-71.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.5 PEN 305

$642 COP 2.0M

-86.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 PEN 2,968

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-57.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 PEN 799

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-77.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 PEN 6,493

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-54.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 PEN 5,995

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-8.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 PEN 1,624

$657 COP 2.1M

-28.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 148% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Ayacucho

$112 23.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 50.8% $57

Accommodation & Living

Ayacucho

$88 18.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 625% $553

Eating Out

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 204% $114

Getting Around

Ayacucho

$46 9.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 104% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ayacucho

$29 * 6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 638% $183

Sport & Entertainment

Ayacucho

$23 4.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 146% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Ayacucho and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

Same time as Ayacucho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,427

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ayacucho Medellin 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ayacucho
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

Ayacucho vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Ayacucho. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Ayacucho versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $72 in Ayacucho versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ayacucho runs roughly 54% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $474 in Ayacucho versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ayacucho wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.