Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pisco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pisco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $682 in Pisco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,055 in Pisco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,429 in Pisco, rent included.

Medellin costs about 152% more than Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Pisco is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$4.49 PEN 15.07

78.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$32.63 PEN 109

47.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.13 PEN 23.89

37.03%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.34 PEN 11.21

-12.87%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.12 PEN 3.77

73.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.62 PEN 2.07

145.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.75 PEN 9.21

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$4.57 PEN 15.31

25.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.68 PEN 5.62

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.33 PEN 7.81

2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.27 PEN 4.24

33.86%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.37 PEN 4.60

109.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$6.49 PEN 21.75

53.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.94 PEN 16.55

118.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$6.82 PEN 22.86

115.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.37 PEN 4.58

198.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.01 PEN 3.40

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.44 PEN 4.81

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.57 PEN 1.92

287.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.43 PEN 1.45

376.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.86 PEN 2.90

74.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.85 PEN 2.83

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.87 PEN 2.91

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.80 PEN 19.45

-32.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$9.22 PEN 30.92

56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.90 PEN 6.36

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.48 PEN 8.32

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.93 PEN 3.13

25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$35.81 PEN 120

117.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.98 PEN 13.34

-67.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.14 PEN 7.17

-2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$7.29 PEN 24.43

18.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.72 PEN 5.76

-24.42%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$21.8K PEN 73.2K

26.65%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$25.9K PEN 86.9K

37.01%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$45.42 PEN 152

287.65%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$16.85 PEN 56.5

-20.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$11.93 PEN 40.00

150.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$20.56 PEN 68.9

117.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$8.99 PEN 30.14

89.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.32 PEN 24.56

-15.30%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$181 PEN 605

339.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$13.2K PEN 44.1K

-31.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$54.2 PEN 182

57.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$13.39 PEN 44.90

336.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$47.04 PEN 158

189.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$36.00 PEN 121

186.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$164 PEN 551

544.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$132 PEN 444

413.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$146 PEN 488

702.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,813 PEN 6,079

126.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,391 PEN 4,663

22.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$584 PEN 1,957

13.99%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pisco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $164 in Pisco. 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 14% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Pisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $186 – making Pisco 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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 152%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,022 in Pisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pisco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Pisco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $682 in Pisco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pisco, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Pisco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Pisco. 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.