Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $980 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,520 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,061 in Lima.

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lima 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$4.12 PEN 13.94

45.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$33.17 PEN 112

-0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$6.79 PEN 22.96

9.28%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$2.63 PEN 8.91

-37.26%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.94 PEN 3.16

13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.60 PEN 2.03

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.25 PEN 7.61

-23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.82 PEN 12.92

-16.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.47 PEN 4.99

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$2.60 PEN 8.78

-49.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.31 PEN 4.43

2.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.87 PEN 9.70

-23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$7.84 PEN 26.52

-43.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$5.51 PEN 18.65

3.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$10.60 PEN 35.86

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.06 PEN 6.97

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.13 PEN 3.81

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.10 PEN 3.74

38.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.25 PEN 4.21

9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.02 PEN 3.45

12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.93 PEN 3.15

26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.82 PEN 2.76

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.89 PEN 3.01

-3.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$5.49 PEN 18.55

-58.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$8.64 PEN 29.20

34.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.76 PEN 5.94

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.98 PEN 10.09

-16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.66 PEN 2.25

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$30.53 PEN 103

33.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$3.34 PEN 11.30

-55.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$2.15 PEN 7.28

-10.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$8.49 PEN 28.70

-8.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.30 PEN 4.39

-22.31%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$19.2K PEN 64.9K

-8.02%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$24.1K PEN 81.6K

9.66%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$55.8 PEN 189

45.34%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$12.35 PEN 41.76

-23.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$23.96 PEN 81.0

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$30.52 PEN 103

-14.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$18.57 PEN 62.8

0.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.76 PEN 22.87

-39.50%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$220 PEN 745

42.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$7,863 PEN 26.6K

-23.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$50.9 PEN 172

17.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$35.62 PEN 120

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$90.6 PEN 306

11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$89.0 PEN 301

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$622 PEN 2,103

-21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$352 PEN 1,190

3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,019 PEN 3,446

-18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$637 PEN 2,154

14.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,318 PEN 7,839

29.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,411 PEN 4,772

-6.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$649 PEN 2,193

-15.08%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lima: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $622 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $219 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lima differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $980 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $622 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $220 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $980 in Lima versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.