Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ayacucho Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ayacucho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $491 in Ayacucho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $793 in Ayacucho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,095 in Ayacucho.

Living in Medellin is roughly 250% more expensive than in Ayacucho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Ayacucho is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$1.76 PEN 5.90

356.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.76 PEN 5.89

65.34%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.86 PEN 2.89

125.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.31 PEN 1.05

390.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.50 PEN 5.04

106.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$4.39 PEN 14.72

30.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.61 PEN 2.06

178.69%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.73 PEN 5.81

65.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$2.92 PEN 9.78

240.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.41 PEN 14.78

144.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$5.91 PEN 19.80

149.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.22 PEN 4.08

235.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.61 PEN 2.05

157.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.60 PEN 2.02

255.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.56 PEN 1.88

294.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.29 PEN 0.97

606.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.31 PEN 1.04

383.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.31 PEN 1.06

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.85 PEN 2.86

36.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.77 PEN 19.36

150.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.98 PEN 10.01

-46.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.45 PEN 14.91

-36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.60 PEN 2.02

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$36.11 PEN 121

115.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.32 PEN 7.80

-44.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.21 PEN 4.06

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$4.58 PEN 15.35

88.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.79 PEN 6.01

-27.37%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$10.5K PEN 35.1K

164.34%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$12.6K PEN 42.1K

182.57%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$11.94 PEN 40.05

11.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$17.97 PEN 60.3

66.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$15.11 PEN 50.7

196.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$30.03 PEN 101

-43.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$4.35 PEN 14.57

42.53%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$73.7 PEN 247

976.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$17.68 PEN 59.3

384.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$26.24 PEN 88.0

122.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$103 PEN 344

32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$105 PEN 354

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$353 PEN 1,184

200.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$89.4 PEN 300

660.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$880 PEN 2,951

128.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$234 PEN 784

400.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,981 PEN 6,644

107.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,755 PEN 5,885

-3.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$490 PEN 1,643

35.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $353 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 250% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $353 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $73.7 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ayacucho runs roughly 115% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $491 in Ayacucho versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ayacucho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ayacucho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ayacucho are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ayacucho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.