Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cerro de Pasco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cerro de Pasco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $560 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $907 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,254 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

Medellin costs about 193% more than Cerro de Pasco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Cerro de Pasco is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.00 PEN 10.05

168.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$29.52 PEN 99.0

63.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.07 PEN 23.70

33.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.13 PEN 7.15

38.03%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.76 PEN 2.56

144.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.47 PEN 1.56

210.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.60 PEN 8.72

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.57 PEN 15.32

24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.52 PEN 5.10

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.33 PEN 7.81

3.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.34 PEN 4.50

26.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.47 PEN 8.28

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.17 PEN 30.74

9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.98 PEN 20.05

66.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.10 PEN 27.17

75.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.07 PEN 6.95

92.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.77 PEN 2.58

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.43 PEN 1.46

400.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.22 PEN 4.11

88.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.72 PEN 2.40

177.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.51 PEN 1.71

196.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.86 PEN 2.89

39.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.90 PEN 3.03

42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.87 PEN 19.69

-34.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.65 PEN 25.63

83.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.01 PEN 6.73

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.64 PEN 8.84

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.12 PEN 13.80

-68.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.13 PEN 7.14

1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.21 PEN 24.17

14.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.67 PEN 5.60

-18.56%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.4K PEN 75.0K

22.74%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.5K PEN 89.0K

37.66%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$69.8 PEN 234

141.58%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$16.83 PEN 56.4

-19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$27.87 PEN 93.4

1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.48 PEN 25.08

-11.10%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$185 PEN 622

333.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.1K PEN 44.0K

-30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$55.1 PEN 185

58.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$35.26 PEN 118

68.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$87.2 PEN 292

59.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$80.8 PEN 271

26.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$421 PEN 1,412

356.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$476 PEN 1,597

37.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.94

22.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cerro de Pasco: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 38% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Cerro de Pasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $206 – making Cerro de Pasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cerro de Pasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 193%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $839 in Cerro de Pasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Cerro de Pasco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cerro de Pasco, where all-in costs run around $560, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Cerro de Pasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cerro de Pasco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cerro de Pasco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.