Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tacna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $433 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tacna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Tacna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $433 in Tacna, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Tacna $433

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $621 in Tacna, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Tacna $621

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $810 in Tacna, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Tacna $810

Medellin costs about 291% more than Tacna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Tacna is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.84 PEN 9.77

193.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$14.47 PEN 49.80

221.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$4.94 PEN 16.99

91.70%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.42 PEN 11.77

-8.48%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$1.13 PEN 3.89

56.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.41 PEN 1.41

246.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.83 PEN 9.73

11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.36 PEN 11.55

69.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.16 PEN 4.00

31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$1.41 PEN 4.84

62.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$0.83 PEN 2.86

133.73%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$1.76 PEN 6.05

74.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$4.34 PEN 14.94

130.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.65 PEN 16.01

124.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$8.61 PEN 29.62

62.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.41 PEN 4.85

8.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$0.90 PEN 3.11

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$0.74 PEN 2.56

185.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.70 PEN 2.40

125.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.36 PEN 15.02

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$6.42 PEN 22.10

118.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$2.59 PEN 8.90

-32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.28 PEN 0.96

321.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$1.90 PEN 6.54

-4.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$18.59 PEN 64.0

-25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$25.48 PEN 87.7

20.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$29.16 PEN 100

43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$2.58 PEN 8.88

189.53%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$57.3 PEN 197

1279.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$20.45 PEN 70.4

322.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$20.55 PEN 70.7

188.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$26.26 PEN 90.4

276.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$68.7 PEN 237

870.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$465 PEN 1,600

39.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tacna: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Tacna

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Tacna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Tacna

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Tacna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Tacna

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Tacna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Tacna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 39% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $14 in Tacna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $147 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Tacna

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

92,972

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Tacna 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tacna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tacna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 291%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $649 in Tacna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $14 in Tacna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $433, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Tacna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $433 in Tacna to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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