Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Arequipa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Arequipa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $709 in Arequipa, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Arequipa $709

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,117 in Arequipa, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Arequipa $1,117

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,524 in Arequipa, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Arequipa $1,524

Medellin costs about 129% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Arequipa is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.46 PEN 11.87

139.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$27.89 PEN 95.8

68.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.93 PEN 20.37

55.82%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.42 PEN 8.31

26.03%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.81 PEN 2.78

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.39 PEN 1.33

253.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.09 PEN 7.16

55.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.27 PEN 14.68

30.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.34 PEN 4.61

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.36 PEN 4.66

74.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.45 PEN 4.99

17.24%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.29 PEN 7.85

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$6.25 PEN 21.47

63.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.59 PEN 15.75

112.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.33 PEN 25.16

89.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.76 PEN 6.03

134.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.18 PEN 4.05

29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.13 PEN 3.88

96.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.99 PEN 3.41

129.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.67 PEN 2.29

197.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.67 PEN 2.31

149.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.56 PEN 1.91

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.76 PEN 2.60

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.13 PEN 17.62

-24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$5.18 PEN 17.80

166.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.67 PEN 9.17

-37.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.30 PEN 7.90

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.28 PEN 0.95

342.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.02 PEN 6.92

-36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.01 PEN 6.92

6.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$13.01 PEN 44.68

-35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.54 PEN 5.28

-12.34%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

83.68%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

37.98%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$23.36 PEN 80.2

613.40%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$10.26 PEN 35.24

32.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$23.44 PEN 80.5

24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$25.08 PEN 86.1

79.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$8.00 PEN 27.47

114.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.35 PEN 25.24

-5.17%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$75.3 PEN 258

949.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

37.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$47.74 PEN 164

83.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$26.42 PEN 90.7

120.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$67.6 PEN 232

105.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$57.5 PEN 198

71.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$347 PEN 1,192

196.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$237 PEN 813

161.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$719 PEN 2,471

161.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$419 PEN 1,439

140.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,963 PEN 6,740

103.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$989 PEN 3,397

72.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$619 PEN 2,125

7.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Arequipa

$237 33.4% 61.8% $383

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Arequipa

$174 24.5% 41.6% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 72.8% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 48.1% $83

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Arequipa

$98 13.9% 42.5% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9% 86.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 32.6% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $347 in Arequipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

17,062

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Arequipa 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Arequipa

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

Medellin vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 129% more than Arequipa, 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 $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,063 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 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 Arequipa. 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.