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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Pisco is about 60% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 PEN 15.07

$8.03 COP 25.1K

-44.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.63 PEN 109

$48.26 COP 150.8K

-32.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 PEN 23.89

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-27.02%

Cappuccino

$3.34 PEN 11.21

$2.91 COP 9,095

14.78%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.77

$1.94 COP 6,074

-42.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.07

$1.52 COP 4,754

-59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 PEN 9.21

$3.09 COP 9,663

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 PEN 15.31

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-20.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 PEN 5.62

$1.36 COP 4,262

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 PEN 7.81

$2.39 COP 7,460

-2.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.24

$1.70 COP 5,314

-25.29%

Eggs

$1.37 PEN 4.60

$2.87 COP 8,967

-52.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 PEN 21.75

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PEN 16.55

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-54.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 PEN 22.86

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-53.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.58

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-66.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 PEN 3.40

$1.57 COP 4,911

-35.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 PEN 4.81

$2.13 COP 6,642

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 1.92

$2.21 COP 6,917

-74.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 PEN 1.45

$2.05 COP 6,396

-79.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.90

$1.50 COP 4,700

-42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 PEN 2.83

$1.19 COP 3,718

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PEN 2.91

$1.16 COP 3,619

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 PEN 19.45

$3.90 COP 12.2K

48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.22 PEN 30.92

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 PEN 6.36

$1.58 COP 4,948

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 PEN 8.32

$2.83 COP 8,836

-12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 PEN 3.13

$1.17 COP 3,650

-20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.81 PEN 120

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 PEN 13.34

$1.28 COP 4,014

210.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 PEN 7.17

$2.09 COP 6,537

2.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 PEN 24.43

$8.62 COP 26.9K

-15.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.76

$1.30 COP 4,056

32.31%

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

$21.8K PEN 73.2K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-21.04%

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

$25.9K PEN 86.9K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-27.01%

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

$45.42 PEN 152

$176 COP 550.1K

-74.20%

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

$16.85 PEN 56.5

$13.37 COP 41.8K

26.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.93 PEN 40.00

$29.89 COP 93.4K

-60.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.56 PEN 68.9

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-54.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.99 PEN 30.14

$17.06 COP 53.3K

-47.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 PEN 24.56

$6.20 COP 19.4K

18.06%

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

$181 PEN 605

$793 COP 2.5M

-77.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K PEN 44.1K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 PEN 182

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.39 PEN 44.90

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-77.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.04 PEN 158

$136 COP 425.9K

-65.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.00 PEN 121

$103 COP 322.2K

-65.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PEN 551

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-84.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 PEN 444

$680 COP 2.1M

-80.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 PEN 488

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-87.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,813 PEN 6,079

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-55.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,663

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-18.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 PEN 1,957

$665 COP 2.1M

-12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

10.94

-18.28%

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

Last update for Pisco: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $164 in Pisco versus $1,060 in Medellin. 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 $33.00 in Pisco versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $303 – 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

Pisco vs Medellin: 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 $1,022 per month in Pisco and $2,574 in Medellin. 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 $33.00 in Pisco and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $682 in Pisco and $1,716 in Medellin. 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.