Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moquegua Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moquegua

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $453 in Moquegua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $751 in Moquegua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,050 in Moquegua, rent included.

Medellin costs about 251% more than Moquegua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Moquegua is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$3.46 PEN 11.93

131.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 150.3K

$27.61 PEN 95.1

68.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.5K

$5.82 PEN 20.03

62.03%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,398

$2.56 PEN 8.82

13.67%

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

$1.75 COP 5,657

$0.82 PEN 2.82

113.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,273

$0.37 PEN 1.27

256.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.16 PEN 7.44

44.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$4.37 PEN 15.05

27.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,553

$1.33 PEN 4.59

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,878

$1.37 PEN 4.73

78.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,258

$1.54 PEN 5.31

5.84%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,107

$2.33 PEN 8.01

21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.3K

$6.24 PEN 21.50

55.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.1K

$4.63 PEN 15.95

101.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.4K

$7.37 PEN 25.38

82.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$1.81 PEN 6.22

120.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,780

$1.21 PEN 4.17

22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,856

$1.20 PEN 4.13

76.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,271

$1.05 PEN 3.63

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,171

$0.69 PEN 2.38

176.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,228

$0.69 PEN 2.39

134.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,706

$0.55 PEN 1.89

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,074

$0.74 PEN 2.56

70.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$5.28 PEN 18.19

-27.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.3K

$5.11 PEN 17.58

156.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,149

$2.72 PEN 9.38

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,282

$2.25 PEN 7.75

0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,779

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 242.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,108

$2.05 PEN 7.06

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,616

$2.02 PEN 6.97

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.5K

$13.02 PEN 44.83

-37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$1.52 PEN 5.25

-16.45%

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

$26.8K COP 86.4M

$18.5K PEN 63.8K

44.49%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$25.2K PEN 86.9K

36.28%

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

$162 COP 523.6K

$23.82 PEN 82.0

580.98%

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

$13.12 COP 42.4K

$10.37 PEN 35.73

26.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.7K

$23.27 PEN 80.2

20.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 143.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$7.33 PEN 25.26

-16.92%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$74.5 PEN 257

926.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$6,749 PEN 23.2K

31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 274.3K

$48.42 PEN 167

75.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.6K

$26.56 PEN 91.5

116.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 425.3K

$68.0 PEN 234

93.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 309.1K

$58.4 PEN 201

64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Moquegua: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Moquegua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $176 – making Moquegua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Moquegua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 251%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $680 in Moquegua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Moquegua. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moquegua, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Moquegua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moquegua – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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