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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $701 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,192 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,683 in Cajamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 140% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cajamarca is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.66 PEN 12.27

119.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$29.95 PEN 101

59.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.01 PEN 20.16

64.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.63 PEN 8.81

19.01%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.81 PEN 2.72

135.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.57 PEN 1.92

164.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.41 PEN 8.07

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.67 PEN 12.32

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.35 PEN 4.53

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.31 PEN 11.12

-24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.27 PEN 4.25

39.37%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.31 PEN 7.74

28.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.89 PEN 26.47

27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.12 PEN 20.53

65.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.01 PEN 43.64

9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.11 PEN 3.74

272.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.79 PEN 2.64

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.21 PEN 4.07

85.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.12 PEN 3.75

100.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.81 PEN 2.71

151.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.01 PEN 3.38

52.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.76 PEN 2.54

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.76 PEN 2.56

72.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$9.02 PEN 30.26

-56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.53 PEN 35.32

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.60 PEN 8.71

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.54 PEN 8.53

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.59 PEN 1.98

106.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$8.86 PEN 29.73

808.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.83 PEN 6.13

-28.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.32 PEN 4.41

65.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.12 PEN 17.20

70.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.60 PEN 5.38

-14.37%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.6K PEN 79.3K

17.82%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.8K PEN 86.5K

38.74%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$49.68 PEN 167

256.88%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.48 PEN 31.82

46.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.30 PEN 98.3

1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$31.19 PEN 105

43.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$20.98 PEN 70.4

-18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.82 PEN 16.16

37.97%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$140 PEN 469

481.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,389 PEN 14.7K

109.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$52.3 PEN 175

71.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$30.27 PEN 102

94.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$83.1 PEN 279

66.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$81.9 PEN 275

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$203 PEN 680

424.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$106 PEN 356

525.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$538 PEN 1,804

251.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$323 PEN 1,084

217.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,337 PEN 7,842

79.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$728 PEN 2,442

-6.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $203 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $231 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $1,062 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 808% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $140 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $701 in Cajamarca versus $1,681 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 140% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.