Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,101 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,552 in Cajamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cajamarca 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.13 PEN 10.61

96.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.42 PEN 92.9

18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.71 PEN 19.34

28.55%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.82 PEN 9.55

-39.01%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.81 PEN 2.74

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.59 PEN 1.99

30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.16 PEN 7.33

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.30 PEN 11.19

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.25 PEN 4.22

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.01 PEN 10.19

-56.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.09 PEN 3.70

28.44%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.17 PEN 7.35

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.16 PEN 20.87

-28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.96 PEN 20.19

-1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$12.10 PEN 41.00

-28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.00 PEN 3.38

128.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.69 PEN 2.35

60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.90 PEN 3.05

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.05 PEN 3.55

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.69 PEN 2.34

63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.95 PEN 3.21

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.62 PEN 2.10

37.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.71 PEN 2.39

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$8.10 PEN 27.45

-71.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.31 PEN 34.94

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.42 PEN 8.21

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.39 PEN 8.12

4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.55 PEN 1.86

52.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$8.17 PEN 27.68

396.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.71 PEN 5.79

-16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.21 PEN 4.09

58.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.99 PEN 16.90

53.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.51 PEN 5.10

-34.44%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$22.5K PEN 76.3K

-19.96%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$24.8K PEN 84.0K

7.43%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$46.02 PEN 156

75.60%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$9.05 PEN 30.68

9.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$26.71 PEN 90.5

-9.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$28.68 PEN 97.2

-12.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$19.78 PEN 67.0

-3.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.48 PEN 15.19

-11.16%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$131 PEN 444

133.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$48.83 PEN 165

19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$27.49 PEN 93.2

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$74.9 PEN 254

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$77.7 PEN 263

38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$203 PEN 688

134.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$97.1 PEN 329

287.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$497 PEN 1,683

70.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$294 PEN 998

148.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,358 PEN 7,991

36.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$704 PEN 2,387

-12.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.5

27.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $203 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 14% 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 Medellin vs $27.00 in Cajamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $211, 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

Medellin vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Cajamarca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $203 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 397% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $131 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cajamarca 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 Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.