Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Lima versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Lima costs roughly 3% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-34.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$32.60 COP 106.1K

4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-8.17%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$1.72 COP 5,600

46.51%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$1.05 COP 3,420

-10.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.77 COP 2,515

-15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$1.69 COP 5,488

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$3.17 COP 10.3K

24.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.05 COP 3,423

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$1.30 COP 4,236

109.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.40 COP 4,544

-2.14%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.16 COP 7,047

36.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$4.39 COP 14.3K

80.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$8.64 COP 28.1K

23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$2.28 COP 7,426

-13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.11 COP 3,604

-2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$1.53 COP 4,983

-28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$1.35 COP 4,410

-11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$1.13 COP 3,674

-7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.13 COP 3,692

-11.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$0.85 COP 2,753

2.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.91 COP 2,975

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$2.34 COP 7,630

138.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.20 COP 3,909

47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.49 COP 8,104

23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.84 COP 2,728

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-21.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$1.42 COP 4,623

137.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$1.92 COP 6,235

15.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$7.66 COP 24.9K

7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$0.99 COP 3,223

36.36%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

7.61%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-8.90%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-30.16%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$9.95 COP 32.4K

26.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$25.08 COP 81.7K

23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-2.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$3.98 COP 13.0K

71.61%

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

$219 PEN 743

$305 COP 993.5K

-28.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$32.20 COP 104.8K

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$101 COP 327.9K

-11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$108 COP 350.8K

-17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$477 COP 1.6M

30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$376 COP 1.2M

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$845 COP 2.7M

21.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$730 COP 2.4M

-15.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-28.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$1,372 COP 4.5M

1.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$617 COP 2.0M

1.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

13.43

-24.72%

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

Last update for Lima: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Lima vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Medellin differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $1,031 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Lima, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Lima versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $999 in Lima versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.