Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Huánuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Huánuco: $26.98 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Huánuco

🇵🇪 Peru

$26.98

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Huánuco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $27 in Huánuco.

Medellin $1,692
Huánuco $27

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $78 in Huánuco.

Medellin $2,471
Huánuco $78

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $130 in Huánuco.

Medellin $3,249
Huánuco $130

Living in Medellin is roughly 6172% more expensive than in Huánuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Huánuco is 98% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$2.94 PEN 10.13

183.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$14.38 PEN 49.62

223.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.60 PEN 2.06

195.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.28 PEN 0.96

407.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$178 COP 576.3K

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Huánuco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Huánuco

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Huánuco

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Huánuco

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Huánuco

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Huánuco

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Huánuco

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Huánuco

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $47 in Medellin vs $14 in Huánuco for two.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Huánuco

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

89,502

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.88 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Huánuco 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Huánuco

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 Huánuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Huánuco is about 98% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $40 in Huánuco to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Huánuco – a meal for two runs $14 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $27 in Huánuco – Huánuco is about 98% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $27 in Huánuco versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Huánuco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Huánuco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.