Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pucallpa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $506 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$506

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pucallpa and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pucallpa and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $506 per month in Pucallpa vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Pucallpa $506
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $833 per month in Pucallpa vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Pucallpa $833
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,159 per month in Pucallpa vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Pucallpa $1,159
Medellin $3,186

Pucallpa is about 69% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Pucallpa sits 63% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.33 PEN 8.05

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-71.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.69 PEN 40.35

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-75.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 PEN 17.71

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-46.00%

Cappuccino

$1.98 PEN 6.84

$3.01 COP 9,540

-34.22%

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

$0.99 PEN 3.42

$1.80 COP 5,693

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$1.41 COP 4,469

-80.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.86

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-46.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PEN 8.14

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-58.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PEN 3.50

$1.51 COP 4,778

-33.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 PEN 12.62

$2.38 COP 7,524

53.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.09

$1.77 COP 5,606

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.78 PEN 6.15

$2.89 COP 9,146

-38.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.99 PEN 6.88

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-80.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 PEN 14.39

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-57.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.39 PEN 11.69

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-75.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 PEN 8.23

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-40.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.90

$1.55 COP 4,911

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.09

$2.18 COP 6,907

-32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 PEN 9.16

$2.18 COP 6,910

21.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 PEN 9.79

$1.96 COP 6,210

44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.96

$1.59 COP 5,029

27.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 PEN 8.14

$1.15 COP 3,625

105.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 PEN 3.48

$1.24 COP 3,934

-18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 PEN 15.88

$3.96 COP 12.5K

16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 PEN 27.59

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 PEN 7.89

$1.66 COP 5,252

37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 PEN 11.84

$2.26 COP 7,145

51.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 PEN 4.11

$1.17 COP 3,696

1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 PEN 4.90

$1.27 COP 4,013

11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$2.05 COP 6,480

-71.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.41

$1.35 COP 4,262

-5.19%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$52.5 PEN 181

$170 COP 536.8K

-69.05%

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

$35.19 PEN 121

$13.55 COP 42.9K

159.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 PEN 152

$28.07 COP 88.8K

57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 PEN 183

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-37.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 PEN 122

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-39.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.67 PEN 120

$135 COP 427.1K

-74.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PEN 231

$97.9 COP 309.7K

-31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 PEN 399

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-90.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 814

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-88.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PEN 436

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-87.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 PEN 1,408

$657 COP 2.1M

-37.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Pucallpa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Pucallpa

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $116 in Pucallpa versus $1,208 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 61% 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 $12 in Pucallpa versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $297 – making Pucallpa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

Same time as Pucallpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,040

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pucallpa Medellin 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pucallpa
Medellin

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

Pucallpa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 224%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Pucallpa and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pucallpa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $116 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Pucallpa and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pucallpa, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Pucallpa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Pucallpa to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pucallpa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.