Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trujillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trujillo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $903 in Trujillo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,357 in Trujillo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,811 in Trujillo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 90% more than Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Trujillo is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.64 PEN 12.21

120.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$24.00 PEN 80.5

101.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.31 PEN 24.51

33.65%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.32 PEN 11.15

-12.35%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.97 PEN 3.26

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.61 PEN 2.05

149.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.04 PEN 6.83

51.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.56 PEN 11.93

61.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.41 PEN 4.74

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.12 PEN 7.12

12.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.22 PEN 4.08

39.34%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.22 PEN 14.16

-31.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$7.78 PEN 26.10

27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.85 PEN 22.97

57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.16 PEN 30.70

60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.64 PEN 5.51

149.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.57 PEN 1.92

175.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.58 PEN 1.93

267.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.86 PEN 2.89

156.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.94 PEN 3.14

118.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.18 PEN 3.94

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.25 PEN 4.21

-4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.12 PEN 3.75

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.50 PEN 15.10

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.96 PEN 19.98

142.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.75 PEN 5.87

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.59 PEN 5.34

77.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.61 PEN 2.05

91.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$18.04 PEN 60.5

330.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.60 PEN 8.72

-50.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.20 PEN 7.39

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$5.85 PEN 19.62

47.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.67 PEN 5.60

-22.16%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$18.0K PEN 60.3K

53.84%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$28.6K PEN 95.8K

24.34%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$100 PEN 336

75.84%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$13.55 PEN 45.44

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$27.50 PEN 92.2

8.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$41.19 PEN 138

8.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$5.89 PEN 19.75

189.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$4.43 PEN 14.84

39.95%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$109 PEN 367

625.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$2,172 PEN 7,283

315.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$73.5 PEN 246

16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$15.14 PEN 50.8

286.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$47.31 PEN 159

188.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$44.86 PEN 150

129.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$400 PEN 1,341

165.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$257 PEN 862

164.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$768 PEN 2,574

162.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$523 PEN 1,752

123.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,183 PEN 3,967

247.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$536 PEN 1,796

24.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.7

-6.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $400 in Trujillo. 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 24% 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 $24.00 in Trujillo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $208 – making Trujillo 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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 90%, 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 $1,355 in Trujillo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trujillo, 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 $24.00 in Trujillo. 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 $903 in Trujillo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo, where all-in costs run around $903, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Trujillo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trujillo – 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 Trujillo. 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.