Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $747 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,171 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,596 in Cusco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than Cusco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cusco 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.81 PEN 9.56

113.17%

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

$5.64 PEN 19.20

25.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.02 PEN 6.86

-15.35%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.23 PEN 4.17

-10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.74 PEN 2.50

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.19 PEN 7.44

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$4.23 PEN 14.39

-27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.46 PEN 4.95

-25.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$3.01 PEN 10.24

-58.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.33 PEN 4.53

3.76%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.87 PEN 13.15

-43.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.76 PEN 16.20

-7.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.89 PEN 16.62

15.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.88 PEN 23.41

29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.37 PEN 8.06

-1.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.72 PEN 2.45

47.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.27 PEN 4.32

18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.90 PEN 3.05

53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.00 PEN 3.39

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.96 PEN 3.26

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.70 PEN 2.37

27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.68 PEN 2.31

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$4.83 PEN 16.42

-52.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.86 PEN 19.93

81.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.98 PEN 6.74

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.06 PEN 10.42

-19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.27 PEN 0.91

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.69 PEN 5.74

-13.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.61 PEN 5.48

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.79 PEN 9.49

177.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.51 PEN 5.13

-37.09%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$18.8K PEN 63.9K

-3.51%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$22.1K PEN 75.2K

19.79%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$33.09 PEN 113

148.56%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.07 PEN 47.86

-32.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$30.14 PEN 103

-19.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$30.93 PEN 105

-16.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.76 PEN 16.19

-17.44%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$36.52 PEN 124

60.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$28.63 PEN 97.4

12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$61.6 PEN 210

66.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$70.4 PEN 239

54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$304 PEN 1,033

56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$250 PEN 850

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$582 PEN 1,979

44.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$410 PEN 1,395

76.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,889 PEN 13.2K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,754 PEN 5,968

-30.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$432 PEN 1,471

18.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

22.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cusco: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $304 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Cusco. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $194, 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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 18% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $304 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Cusco versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco 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.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.