Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $865 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
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Trujillo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Trujillo

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 Trujillo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $865 in Trujillo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Trujillo $865

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,339 in Trujillo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Trujillo $1,339

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,813 in Trujillo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Trujillo $1,813

Medellin costs about 89% more than Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Trujillo is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.46 PEN 11.93

133.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$23.58 PEN 81.3

99.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.20 PEN 24.82

31.94%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.24 PEN 11.17

-7.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.97 PEN 3.33

85.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.65 PEN 2.25

116.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.06 PEN 7.10

54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.46 PEN 11.94

66.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.38 PEN 4.75

9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.03 PEN 7.01

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.14 PEN 3.94

55.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.97 PEN 13.69

-27.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$7.73 PEN 26.66

31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.63 PEN 22.86

48.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.20 PEN 31.72

52.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.66 PEN 5.74

139.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.57 PEN 1.96

171.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.56 PEN 1.95

289.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.83 PEN 2.87

162.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.93 PEN 3.21

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.17 PEN 4.05

35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.24 PEN 4.28

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.13 PEN 3.89

9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.46 PEN 15.38

-11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$5.81 PEN 20.04

135.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.72 PEN 5.92

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.63 PEN 5.63

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.55 PEN 1.91

112.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$17.35 PEN 59.8

345.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.42 PEN 8.34

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.14 PEN 7.39

-4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$5.94 PEN 20.49

43.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.67 PEN 5.76

-19.16%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$17.2K PEN 59.4K

97.63%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$27.9K PEN 96.3K

24.16%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$98.2 PEN 338

72.79%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$13.20 PEN 45.50

2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$27.11 PEN 93.4

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$38.89 PEN 134

12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$5.73 PEN 19.77

200.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.32 PEN 14.88

59.95%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$108 PEN 374

634.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$2,063 PEN 7,113

341.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$72.8 PEN 251

16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$14.34 PEN 49.42

304.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$47.05 PEN 162

186.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$42.87 PEN 148

128.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$376 PEN 1,297

221.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$251 PEN 866

155.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$734 PEN 2,531

176.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$511 PEN 1,763

97.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,142 PEN 3,936

265.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$558 PEN 1,923

17.83%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Trujillo

$251 29% 60.8% $390

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Trujillo

$204 23.6% 31.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Trujillo

$138 16% 34.4% $73

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Trujillo

$112 12.9% 34% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Trujillo

$80 9.2% 52.9% $89

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Trujillo

$33 3.8% 65% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Trujillo

$48 5.5% 17.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $376 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 18% 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 $24 in Trujillo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $204 – making Trujillo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

314,939

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Trujillo 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Trujillo

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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,298 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $376 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $865 in Trujillo. That makes Trujillo about 47% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo, where all-in costs run around $865, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.