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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,014 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,605 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,196 in Lima.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.36 PEN 14.63

83.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.98 PEN 121

33.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.14 PEN 23.96

38.52%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.39 PEN 11.39

-7.67%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.09 PEN 3.66

75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.62 PEN 2.08

143.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.72 PEN 9.11

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.53 PEN 15.20

26.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.62 PEN 5.45

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.70 PEN 9.06

-7.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.38 PEN 4.63

28.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.95 PEN 9.90

0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.46 PEN 31.74

6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.05 PEN 20.30

67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.99 PEN 33.53

43.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.03 PEN 6.80

103.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.06 PEN 3.55

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.42 PEN 4.76

58.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.49 PEN 5.02

51.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.93 PEN 3.12

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.86 PEN 2.89

79.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.84 PEN 2.83

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.94 PEN 3.15

39.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.04 PEN 20.28

-35.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.99 PEN 30.18

55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.92 PEN 6.45

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.25 PEN 10.91

-11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.68 PEN 2.29

79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$27.60 PEN 92.6

191.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.05 PEN 13.60

-67.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.03 PEN 6.80

7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.23 PEN 24.27

20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.73 PEN 5.80

-20.81%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.9K PEN 73.4K

27.34%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.3K PEN 88.3K

35.98%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$71.6 PEN 240

147.69%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$16.89 PEN 56.7

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$27.92 PEN 93.7

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$33.23 PEN 112

35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$20.13 PEN 67.5

-14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.52 PEN 25.24

-11.57%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$183 PEN 615

343.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$13.5K PEN 45.4K

-32.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$55.0 PEN 185

62.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.32 PEN 122

62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$87.4 PEN 293

58.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$79.8 PEN 268

28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$764 PEN 2,564

39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$352 PEN 1,180

88.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,277 PEN 4,285

47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$657 PEN 2,204

56.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,497 PEN 8,378

67.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,403 PEN 4,708

19.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$656 PEN 2,203

3.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.94

22.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $764 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $232 per month, with Lima 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,014 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $764 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $183 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $1,681 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 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.