Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayacucho and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ayacucho and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $491 in Ayacucho versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $793 in Ayacucho versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,095 in Ayacucho versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Ayacucho costs roughly 71% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ayacucho is 64% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 PEN 5.90

$8.03 COP 25.1K

-78.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

Cappuccino

$1.76 PEN 5.89

$2.91 COP 9,095

-39.52%

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

$0.86 PEN 2.89

$1.94 COP 6,074

-55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 PEN 1.05

$1.52 COP 4,754

-79.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$3.09 COP 9,663

-51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 PEN 14.72

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-23.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$1.70 COP 5,314

-64.12%

Eggs

$1.73 PEN 5.81

$2.87 COP 8,967

-39.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 PEN 9.78

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-70.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 PEN 14.78

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-59.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 PEN 19.80

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-59.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.08

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-70.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 PEN 2.05

$1.57 COP 4,911

-61.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PEN 2.02

$2.13 COP 6,642

-71.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PEN 1.88

$2.21 COP 6,917

-74.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PEN 0.97

$2.05 COP 6,396

-85.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PEN 1.04

$1.50 COP 4,700

-79.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PEN 1.06

$1.19 COP 3,718

-73.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 PEN 2.86

$1.16 COP 3,619

-26.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 PEN 19.36

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-60.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 PEN 10.01

$1.58 COP 4,948

88.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 PEN 14.91

$2.83 COP 8,836

57.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.02

$1.17 COP 3,650

-48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.11 PEN 121

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-53.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 PEN 7.80

$1.28 COP 4,014

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.06

$2.09 COP 6,537

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 PEN 15.35

$8.62 COP 26.9K

-46.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 PEN 6.01

$1.30 COP 4,056

37.69%

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

$10.5K PEN 35.1K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-62.17%

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

$12.6K PEN 42.1K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-64.61%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

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

$11.94 PEN 40.05

$13.37 COP 41.8K

-10.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.97 PEN 60.3

$29.89 COP 93.4K

-39.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.11 PEN 50.7

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-66.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.03 PEN 101

$17.06 COP 53.3K

76.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 PEN 14.57

$6.20 COP 19.4K

-29.84%

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

$73.7 PEN 247

$793 COP 2.5M

-90.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.68 PEN 59.3

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-79.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.24 PEN 88.0

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-55.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 PEN 344

$136 COP 425.9K

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 PEN 354

$103 COP 322.2K

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 PEN 1,184

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-66.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.4 PEN 300

$680 COP 2.1M

-86.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 PEN 2,951

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 PEN 784

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-80.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 PEN 6,644

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-51.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,755 PEN 5,885

$1,701 COP 5.3M

3.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 PEN 1,643

$665 COP 2.1M

-26.33%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Ayacucho and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 250% 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 36% lower in Medellin. 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: $353 in Ayacucho versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $73.7 in Ayacucho versus $793 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 115% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $491 in Ayacucho versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Ayacucho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayacucho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ayacucho and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ayacucho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.