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: $985 in Lima versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $2,192 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 27% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$32.86 COP 117.2K

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$1.71 COP 6,105

48.54%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$1.10 COP 3,918

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.78 COP 2,776

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$1.68 COP 5,987

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$3.07 COP 10.9K

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.09 COP 3,899

29.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$1.26 COP 4,500

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.38 COP 4,914

-5.80%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.19 COP 7,813

35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$4.40 COP 15.7K

81.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$5.63 COP 20.1K

0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$8.89 COP 31.7K

19.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$2.34 COP 8,334

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.06 COP 3,771

0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$1.50 COP 5,365

-24.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$1.38 COP 4,915

-9.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$1.15 COP 4,104

-10.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$1.16 COP 4,148

-17.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.89 COP 3,176

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.84 COP 2,992

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$2.28 COP 8,131

139.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-15.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.20 COP 4,276

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$2.47 COP 8,809

24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.86 COP 3,051

-22.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-26.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$1.47 COP 5,255

129.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$1.96 COP 6,997

12.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$7.74 COP 27.6K

6.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$0.95 COP 3,403

42.11%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

6.53%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-8.20%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-31.05%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$9.50 COP 33.9K

33.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$25.89 COP 92.3K

16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-0.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$3.93 COP 14.0K

71.50%

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

$218 PEN 740

$309 COP 1.1M

-29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

32.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-14.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$32.35 COP 115.3K

13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$103 COP 365.7K

-12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$108 COP 386.5K

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$476 COP 1.7M

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$379 COP 1.4M

-7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$838 COP 3.0M

23.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$724 COP 2.6M

-13.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-15.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$1,211 COP 4.3M

18.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$512 COP 1.8M

22.37%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $188, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 ($985 vs $1,013 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lima pays 22% more on average, 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: $606 in Lima versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $985 in Lima versus $1,013 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.