Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Piura and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $612 per month in Piura vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,041 per month in Piura vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,470 per month in Piura vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Piura is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Piura and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Piura 54% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 PEN 9.82

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.17 PEN 39.21

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-65.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PEN 19.70

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-22.08%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.43

$1.70 COP 6,186

91.76%

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

$1.69 PEN 5.92

$1.10 COP 3,996

53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 PEN 1.71

$0.72 COP 2,625

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 PEN 7.84

$1.67 COP 6,067

33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 PEN 9.86

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-9.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 PEN 3.81

$1.06 COP 3,837

2.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 PEN 10.52

$1.25 COP 4,531

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.96

$1.39 COP 5,060

1.44%

Eggs

$2.04 PEN 7.17

$2.26 COP 8,229

-9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 PEN 27.83

$4.33 COP 15.8K

83.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PEN 24.26

$5.84 COP 21.2K

18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 PEN 33.78

$8.83 COP 32.1K

8.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.53

$2.24 COP 8,159

-42.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PEN 3.05

$1.08 COP 3,911

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.97

$1.53 COP 5,563

-45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.85

$1.37 COP 4,987

-19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.46

$1.13 COP 4,109

12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 PEN 2.02

$1.12 COP 4,067

-49.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 PEN 2.04

$0.85 COP 3,080

-31.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 PEN 2.78

$0.91 COP 3,305

-13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.27 PEN 29.02

$2.33 COP 8,477

254.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 PEN 37.53

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 6.20

$1.19 COP 4,342

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 PEN 9.48

$2.37 COP 8,617

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 PEN 1.40

$0.79 COP 2,859

-49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PEN 5.75

$1.44 COP 5,223

13.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 PEN 5.85

$1.91 COP 6,952

-12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 PEN 19.23

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-31.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 PEN 5.02

$0.94 COP 3,410

52.13%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

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

$39.50 PEN 139

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-52.95%

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

$8.56 PEN 30.04

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 PEN 98.2

$25.88 COP 94.1K

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$2.27 PEN 7.95

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-42.09%

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

$185 PEN 649

$306 COP 1.1M

-39.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,190 PEN 7,686

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.63 PEN 146

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.67 PEN 44.45

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-60.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 PEN 193

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-44.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 PEN 248

$107 COP 389.7K

-34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$139 PEN 489

$487 COP 1.8M

-71.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PEN 444

$368 COP 1.3M

-65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 PEN 1,159

$826 COP 3.0M

-60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 PEN 1,366

$716 COP 2.6M

-45.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,632 PEN 12.7K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

24.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Piura: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $139 in Piura versus $487 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Piura versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Piura vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Piura vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, 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 $918 per month in Piura and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piura, 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 $11.00 in Piura and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Piura, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Piura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Piura – 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 Piura. 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.