Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huancayo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Huancayo: $488 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Huancayo
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Huancayo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Huancayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$488

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Huancayo vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Huancayo $488
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $825 per month in Huancayo vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Huancayo $825
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Huancayo vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Huancayo $1,162
Medellin $3,199

Huancayo is about 70% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Huancayo sits 64% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 PEN 7.80

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-72.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 PEN 23.54

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-25.76%

Cappuccino

$3.29 PEN 11.31

$3.05 COP 9,676

7.87%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.83

$1.80 COP 5,707

-37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 PEN 2.20

$1.38 COP 4,382

-53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PEN 8.91

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 PEN 14.73

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-22.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 PEN 3.93

$1.50 COP 4,760

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 PEN 3.60

$2.37 COP 7,508

-55.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$1.70 COP 5,377

-24.12%

Eggs

$2.41 PEN 8.26

$2.96 COP 9,379

-18.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 PEN 17.64

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-49.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 PEN 20.49

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.20 PEN 17.87

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-62.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-65.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.53

$1.53 COP 4,839

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.90

$2.22 COP 7,052

-75.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.10

$2.27 COP 7,194

-47.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$1.99 COP 6,311

-57.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.05

$1.67 COP 5,285

-46.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 PEN 1.96

$1.18 COP 3,742

-51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.24 COP 3,919

-28.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 PEN 19.57

$3.87 COP 12.3K

47.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 PEN 17.47

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-63.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 PEN 6.41

$1.66 COP 5,256

12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 PEN 10.91

$2.40 COP 7,615

32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.03

$1.24 COP 3,944

-52.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.38 PEN 59.7

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-77.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PEN 6.32

$1.28 COP 4,044

43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 PEN 6.88

$2.15 COP 6,803

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 PEN 24.79

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-13.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 PEN 4.91

$1.35 COP 4,288

5.93%

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

$21.7K PEN 74.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-37.47%

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

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-25.88%

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

$34.52 PEN 119

$167 COP 528.4K

-79.29%

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

$11.76 PEN 40.39

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 PEN 40.59

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-59.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 PEN 25.07

$6.97 COP 22.1K

4.73%

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

$182 PEN 624

$790 COP 2.5M

-76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-38.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 PEN 122

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 PEN 293

$139 COP 440.7K

-38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 PEN 275

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-18.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 PEN 1,112

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-68.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.94

-18.28%

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

Last update for Huancayo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Huancayo

$162 33.2%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 83.7% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Huancayo

$115 23.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 50.7% $58

Eating Out

Huancayo

$107 21.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 59.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huancayo

$58 11.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 260% $151

Getting Around

Huancayo

$32 6.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 201% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Huancayo

$15 * 3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 304% $44

Accommodation & Living

Huancayo

- * 0%

Medellin

$619 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $324 in Huancayo 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Huancayo versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $298 – making Huancayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Huancayo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Huancayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,552

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 22, 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 22, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Huancayo Medellin 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Huancayo
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

Huancayo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 233% more than Huancayo, 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 $732 per month in Huancayo 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 Huancayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $488 in Huancayo and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 233%.

Public transport costs about 350% less in Huancayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huancayo, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Huancayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $488 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 Huancayo. 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.