Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Iquitos

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $656 in Iquitos, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Iquitos $656

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,177 in Iquitos, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Iquitos $1,177

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,697 in Iquitos, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Iquitos $1,697

Medellin costs about 158% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Iquitos is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.8K

$4.23 PEN 14.56

97.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 149.7K

$37.33 PEN 129

24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.07 PEN 24.35

33.95%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.41 PEN 11.75

-8.21%

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

$1.77 COP 5,681

$0.83 PEN 2.85

113.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,582

$0.59 PEN 2.05

140.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.1K

$2.92 PEN 10.06

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.3K

$7.19 PEN 24.75

-20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,930

$1.69 PEN 5.82

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,370

$2.26 PEN 7.78

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,257

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,864

$2.60 PEN 8.95

18.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.6K

$3.21 PEN 11.03

225.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 44.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,916

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,769

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,378

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,785

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,498

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,764

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,083

$0.91 PEN 3.14

73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,667

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,724

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,795

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 245.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,812

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,849

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,102

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$178 COP 571.7K

$35.08 PEN 121

406.64%

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

$13.89 COP 44.7K

$11.15 PEN 38.37

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 98.9K

$8.58 PEN 29.55

258.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 134.9K

$29.56 PEN 102

41.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.0K

$8.89 PEN 30.61

88.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.0K

$5.63 PEN 19.38

32.68%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.6M

$2,760 PEN 9,502

345.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 277.7K

$87.4 PEN 301

-1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 190.6K

$34.33 PEN 118

72.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 445.0K

$52.4 PEN 180

164.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 317.8K

$26.33 PEN 90.6

275.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$347 PEN 1,195

286.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.1M

$262 PEN 902

154.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$858 PEN 2,953

130.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$718 PEN 2,471

43.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$580 PEN 1,995

11.49%

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 Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $347 in Iquitos. 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 11% 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 $37 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $77 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

32,853

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Iquitos 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $983 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 300% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Iquitos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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