Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arequipa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $726 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,150 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,573 in Arequipa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 136% more than Arequipa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Arequipa is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.59 PEN 12.04

123.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$29.83 PEN 100

61.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.85 PEN 19.63

67.01%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.61 PEN 8.75

11.49%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.83 PEN 2.79

133.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.36 PEN 1.22

322.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.21 PEN 7.40

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$4.34 PEN 14.56

32.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.37 PEN 4.59

-0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.45 PEN 4.85

64.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.53 PEN 5.13

11.11%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.36 PEN 7.91

21.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$6.46 PEN 21.66

53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.47 PEN 14.98

141.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$7.44 PEN 24.95

97.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.83 PEN 6.14

123.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.25 PEN 4.20

25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.16 PEN 3.91

83.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.02 PEN 3.43

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.67 PEN 2.26

205.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.72 PEN 2.42

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.56 PEN 1.89

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.77 PEN 2.57

50.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.22 PEN 17.51

-25.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.29 PEN 17.74

172.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.89 PEN 9.69

-45.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.40 PEN 8.04

17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.29 PEN 0.97

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.10 PEN 7.05

-39.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.05 PEN 6.86

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$12.85 PEN 43.08

-32.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.52 PEN 5.08

-14.47%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$18.6K PEN 62.3K

48.95%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$26.0K PEN 87.3K

36.37%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$24.42 PEN 81.9

621.01%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$10.19 PEN 34.16

31.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$23.41 PEN 78.5

27.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$25.53 PEN 85.6

75.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$8.36 PEN 28.04

104.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.50 PEN 25.16

-17.33%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$75.6 PEN 253

949.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,836 PEN 22.9K

31.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$49.44 PEN 166

73.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$26.25 PEN 88.0

122.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$69.3 PEN 232

96.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$59.7 PEN 200

72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$362 PEN 1,214

192.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$240 PEN 804

183.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$731 PEN 2,452

175.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$421 PEN 1,412

177.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,995 PEN 6,688

106.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,016 PEN 3,406

67.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$656 PEN 2,198

1.48%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $362 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 1% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $179 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 136% more than Arequipa, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,089 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% 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 $726, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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 $726 versus $1,716 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.