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 $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $514 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $835 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,157 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

Medellin costs about 97% more than Cerro de Pasco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Cerro de Pasco are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Cerro de Pasco 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.86 PEN 9.74

109.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$27.73 PEN 94.3

18.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.95 PEN 23.65

2.01%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.88 PEN 6.41

-9.04%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.72 PEN 2.46

52.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.41 PEN 1.38

90.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.20 PEN 7.50

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.83 PEN 13.02

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.48 PEN 5.04

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$2.24 PEN 7.62

-43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.23 PEN 4.20

12.20%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.31 PEN 7.86

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.15 PEN 27.73

-46.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.80 PEN 19.73

-2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.80 PEN 26.54

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.97 PEN 6.71

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.67 PEN 2.28

58.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.43 PEN 1.48

248.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.13 PEN 3.84

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.67 PEN 2.27

71.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.51 PEN 1.75

127.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.82 PEN 2.80

8.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.79 PEN 2.70

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$5.62 PEN 19.14

-59.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.24 PEN 24.65

46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.68 PEN 5.72

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.44 PEN 8.31

1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.36 PEN 11.42

-56.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.19 PEN 7.45

-10.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$8.15 PEN 27.74

-5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.36 PEN 4.62

-30.15%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$19.1K PEN 65.1K

-5.22%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$24.5K PEN 83.4K

8.09%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$56.0 PEN 190

46.98%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$12.44 PEN 42.31

-23.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$23.81 PEN 81.0

1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.06 PEN 24.03

-44.33%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$223 PEN 757

39.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$7,987 PEN 27.2K

-25.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$50.5 PEN 172

16.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$36.65 PEN 125

-11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$89.9 PEN 306

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$90.9 PEN 309

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$386 PEN 1,312

117.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$468 PEN 1,591

9.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.11

32.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cerro de Pasco: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 9% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Cerro de Pasco. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $193 in Cerro de Pasco – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 97%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $770 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Cerro de Pasco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cerro de Pasco, where all-in costs run around $514, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.