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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $975 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,515 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,055 in Lima.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Lima 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$4.24 PEN 14.40

39.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$33.85 PEN 115

-2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.10 PEN 24.11

4.65%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.58 PEN 8.77

-36.05%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.90 PEN 3.07

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.64 PEN 2.19

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.24 PEN 7.60

-23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.92 PEN 13.30

-18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.47 PEN 4.99

-25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$2.63 PEN 8.91

-52.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.31 PEN 4.46

5.34%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.96 PEN 10.06

-26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$8.03 PEN 27.26

-44.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.59 PEN 18.97

3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.56 PEN 35.86

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.00 PEN 6.77

16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.11 PEN 3.78

-4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.14 PEN 3.86

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.26 PEN 4.28

7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.98 PEN 3.33

15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.01 PEN 3.42

15.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.82 PEN 2.80

9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.87 PEN 2.97

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$5.48 PEN 18.62

-59.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$8.85 PEN 30.06

36.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.71 PEN 5.80

-30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.93 PEN 9.93

-15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.71 PEN 2.42

19.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$30.86 PEN 105

34.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$3.39 PEN 11.49

-58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$2.12 PEN 7.20

-8.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$8.48 PEN 28.80

-6.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.32 PEN 4.48

-25.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.7K PEN 66.8K

-10.51%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$24.9K PEN 84.7K

7.46%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$57.0 PEN 194

45.61%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$12.83 PEN 43.54

-24.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$23.68 PEN 80.4

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$31.09 PEN 106

-18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$18.87 PEN 64.1

1.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.84 PEN 23.22

-42.25%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$223 PEN 757

41.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$7,847 PEN 26.6K

-23.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$50.3 PEN 171

19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$35.93 PEN 122

-11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$90.3 PEN 307

12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$90.4 PEN 307

18.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$621 PEN 2,109

-23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$352 PEN 1,197

6.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,037 PEN 3,519

-18.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$622 PEN 2,113

15.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,363 PEN 8,023

38.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,424 PEN 4,836

1.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$636 PEN 2,160

-1.86%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $621 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 2% 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 $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $220 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $975 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $621 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $223 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $975 in Lima versus $1,003 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 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.