Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chiclayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiclayo: $998 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Chiclayo
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Chiclayo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Chiclayo

🇵🇪 Peru

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chiclayo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $998 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Chiclayo $998

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,584 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Chiclayo $1,584

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,170 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Chiclayo $2,170

Medellin costs about 64% more than Chiclayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chiclayo is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.15 PEN 17.82

57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$34.69 PEN 120

35.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.75 PEN 30.29

8.57%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$4.23 PEN 14.65

-28.84%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.91 PEN 3.15

97.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.46 PEN 1.58

206.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$8.44 PEN 29.24

-62.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.25 PEN 7.77

-32.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.28 PEN 7.89

4.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.19 PEN 7.58

-19.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.38 PEN 8.26

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.53 PEN 22.59

56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.10 PEN 21.13

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.88 PEN 34.22

41.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.45 PEN 8.47

62.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.91 PEN 6.61

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.47 PEN 8.54

-11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.80 PEN 6.23

21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.17 PEN 4.03

67.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.23 PEN 7.73

-28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.65 PEN 2.24

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.91 PEN 3.16

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.23 PEN 18.11

-24.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.15 PEN 42.05

12.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.50 PEN 5.18

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.79 PEN 6.20

26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.78 PEN 2.69

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$29.38 PEN 102

163.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.20 PEN 11.07

-60.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.92 PEN 10.12

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.29 PEN 21.77

35.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.31 PEN 4.54

3.05%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$24.3K PEN 84.2K

40.13%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.5K PEN 84.9K

41.42%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$48.50 PEN 168

249.79%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$26.67 PEN 92.4

-49.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$31.71 PEN 110

-11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$61.5 PEN 213

-28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$25.15 PEN 87.1

-31.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.82 PEN 27.09

-11.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$248 PEN 857

221.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,008 PEN 13.9K

127.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$50.2 PEN 174

68.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$59.7 PEN 207

-2.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$198 PEN 687

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$147 PEN 509

-33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$239 PEN 827

405.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$150 PEN 518

328.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$447 PEN 1,547

353.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$254 PEN 879

298.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,106 PEN 3,829

277.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,073 PEN 3,716

77.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$504 PEN 1,746

30.27%

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 Chiclayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Chiclayo

$150 15% 76.7% $492

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Chiclayo

$243 24.3% 18.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Chiclayo

$107 10.7% 49.4% $104

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Chiclayo

$166 * 16.6% 2.2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Chiclayo

$205 20.6% 21.3% $36

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Chiclayo

$50 5% 46.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Chiclayo

$77 7.7% 34.1% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $239 in Chiclayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Chiclayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $243 – making Chiclayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Chiclayo

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

60,325

💱 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 = 0.259 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.46 PEN (1 PEN = 0.289 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chiclayo 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chiclayo

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 Chiclayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $998 in Chiclayo – Chiclayo comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,496 in Chiclayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiclayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Chiclayo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $998 in Chiclayo. That makes Chiclayo about 39% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chiclayo, where all-in costs run around $998, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Chiclayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiclayo – 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 Chiclayo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.