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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $649 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,098 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,547 in Cajamarca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than Cajamarca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cajamarca 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.00 PEN 10.20

99.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$28.12 PEN 95.7

16.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.85 PEN 19.90

21.20%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.93 PEN 9.96

-41.64%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.75 PEN 2.56

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.59 PEN 2.00

32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.18 PEN 7.41

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.23 PEN 10.99

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.24 PEN 4.22

-12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$3.12 PEN 10.60

-59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.09 PEN 3.71

26.61%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.17 PEN 7.39

0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.15 PEN 20.93

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.85 PEN 19.89

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$12.02 PEN 40.88

-26.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.93 PEN 3.15

151.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.75 PEN 2.56

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.83 PEN 2.83

80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.05 PEN 3.58

31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.68 PEN 2.33

69.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.94 PEN 3.20

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.62 PEN 2.12

43.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.72 PEN 2.45

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$8.23 PEN 28.00

-72.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$10.20 PEN 34.69

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.50 PEN 8.52

-52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.35 PEN 7.99

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.59 PEN 2.00

45.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$8.11 PEN 27.58

410.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.64 PEN 5.59

-10.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.22 PEN 4.14

60.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$4.90 PEN 16.68

57.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.50 PEN 5.12

-36.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

-16.78%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

11.18%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$46.05 PEN 157

78.61%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$9.02 PEN 30.68

5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$26.75 PEN 91.0

-9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$28.61 PEN 97.4

-9.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$19.22 PEN 65.4

-1.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.68 PEN 15.92

-16.03%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$128 PEN 435

142.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

44.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$48.44 PEN 165

21.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$27.69 PEN 94.2

16.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$75.4 PEN 256

36.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$77.0 PEN 262

40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$202 PEN 687

135.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$97.3 PEN 331

289.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$502 PEN 1,707

67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$292 PEN 992

148.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,356 PEN 8,017

18.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$707 PEN 2,407

-27.66%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $202 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 38% 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 $28.00 in Cajamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cajamarca earns 38% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $202 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 410% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $128 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,013 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 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.