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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $779 in Trujillo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,173 in Trujillo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,567 in Trujillo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Trujillo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Trujillo are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Trujillo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.24 PEN 10.99

90.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$13.70 PEN 46.43

137.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.73 PEN 22.80

9.06%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.98 PEN 10.08

-42.28%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.89 PEN 3.02

17.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.59 PEN 2.00

30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.92 PEN 6.51

-11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.30 PEN 11.17

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.05 PEN 3.55

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.77 PEN 6.01

-26.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.13 PEN 3.81

23.89%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$3.88 PEN 13.14

-44.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.47 PEN 21.94

-9.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.52 PEN 25.47

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.17 PEN 3.97

94.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.58 PEN 1.96

91.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.58 PEN 1.95

163.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.71 PEN 2.40

90.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.92 PEN 3.13

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.82 PEN 2.78

37.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.91 PEN 3.09

-6.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.92 PEN 3.11

-1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.27 PEN 14.48

-45.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.79 PEN 19.61

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.41 PEN 4.76

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.65 PEN 5.59

50.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.64 PEN 2.16

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.38 PEN 55.5

147.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.80 PEN 9.48

-49.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.99 PEN 6.74

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.66 PEN 19.20

35.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.36 PEN 4.61

-27.21%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$16.9K PEN 57.2K

6.73%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$26.2K PEN 88.8K

1.64%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$76.6 PEN 259

5.55%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$8.48 PEN 28.75

17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$21.22 PEN 71.9

13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$36.00 PEN 122

-30.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$5.39 PEN 18.28

255.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.16 PEN 14.09

-4.33%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$102 PEN 346

198.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,963 PEN 6,653

208.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$70.8 PEN 240

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$14.00 PEN 47.43

130.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$32.71 PEN 111

207.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$32.74 PEN 111

229.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$365 PEN 1,237

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$257 PEN 870

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$602 PEN 2,040

40.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$489 PEN 1,657

49.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,138 PEN 3,856

182.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$821 PEN 2,783

67.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$524 PEN 1,777

17.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.7

5.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $365 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $14.00 in Trujillo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $159 – 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 32%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,169 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $14.00 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 $1,031 in Medellin and $779 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 $779, than in Medellin at $1,031. 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.