Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $706 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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 Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cajamarca

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 Cajamarca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $706 in Cajamarca.

Medellin $1,639
Cajamarca $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,185 in Cajamarca.

Medellin $2,413
Cajamarca $1,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,664 in Cajamarca.

Medellin $3,186
Cajamarca $1,664

Living in Medellin is roughly 132% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cajamarca is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.25 PEN 11.25

148.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$29.07 PEN 101

61.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$5.67 PEN 19.64

67.55%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.84 PEN 9.84

5.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.69 PEN 2.41

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.55 PEN 1.91

156.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.67 PEN 9.24

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.54 PEN 12.26

62.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.36 PEN 4.71

11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.12 PEN 10.80

-23.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.25 PEN 4.34

41.60%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.28 PEN 7.89

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.01 PEN 24.30

45.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.52 PEN 26.08

31.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$15.82 PEN 54.8

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.85 PEN 2.95

367.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.90 PEN 3.11

72.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.14 PEN 3.96

91.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.89 PEN 3.08

144.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.84 PEN 2.90

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.71 PEN 2.46

123.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.90 PEN 3.13

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.76 PEN 2.62

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$7.41 PEN 25.69

-46.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.68 PEN 40.47

17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.53 PEN 8.78

-34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.66 PEN 9.22

-15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.61 PEN 2.11

91.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$8.76 PEN 30.37

783.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.59 PEN 8.98

-50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.70 PEN 5.90

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.75 PEN 19.94

48.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.40 PEN 4.86

-3.57%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$23.1K PEN 80.1K

47.40%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$28.5K PEN 98.8K

21.64%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$57.7 PEN 200

194.12%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.57 PEN 33.16

41.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$20.41 PEN 70.7

37.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$33.27 PEN 115

31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$17.16 PEN 59.5

0.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.76 PEN 13.03

83.78%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$146 PEN 506

446.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,405 PEN 15.3K

106.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$42.92 PEN 149

97.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$28.76 PEN 99.7

101.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$71.8 PEN 249

87.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$72.4 PEN 251

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$197 PEN 684

511.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$114 PEN 396

462.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$530 PEN 1,838

282.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$317 PEN 1,098

219.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$549 PEN 1,902

19.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cajamarca

$114 16.2% 82.2% $527

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cajamarca

$242 34.2% 18.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cajamarca

$88 12.4% 58.5% $124

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cajamarca

$102 14.5% 39.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cajamarca

$97 13.8% 42.5% $72

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cajamarca

$22 3.2% 76.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cajamarca

$41 5.8% 29.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $197 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $29 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $242 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

218,741

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 PEN = 0.289 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cajamarca 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cajamarca

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 Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is about 57% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $197 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 89% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $146 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

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 Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.