Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacna and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $433 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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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Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$433

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tacna 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 Tacna and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $433 per month in Tacna vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacna $433
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $621 per month in Tacna vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacna $621
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $810 per month in Tacna vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacna $810
Medellin $3,249

Tacna is about 74% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tacna sits 68% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 PEN 9.77

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-65.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.47 PEN 49.80

$46.53 COP 150.3K

-68.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 PEN 16.99

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-47.84%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.77

$3.13 COP 10.1K

9.27%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.89

$1.77 COP 5,705

-36.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 PEN 1.41

$1.42 COP 4,601

-71.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 PEN 9.73

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 PEN 11.55

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-41.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 PEN 4.00

$1.53 COP 4,950

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

$2.29 COP 7,401

-38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.86

$1.94 COP 6,282

-57.22%

Eggs

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$3.07 COP 9,905

-42.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 PEN 14.94

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-56.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 PEN 16.01

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-55.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 PEN 29.62

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-38.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.85

$1.53 COP 4,937

-7.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.11

$2.10 COP 6,797

-57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.56

$2.11 COP 6,813

-64.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PEN 2.40

$1.58 COP 5,104

-55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 PEN 15.02

$3.91 COP 12.6K

11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 PEN 22.10

$14.04 COP 45.4K

-54.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.90

$1.76 COP 5,690

47.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$1.18 COP 3,811

-76.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 PEN 6.54

$1.81 COP 5,836

4.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

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

$18.59 PEN 64.0

$13.89 COP 44.9K

33.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.48 PEN 87.7

$30.74 COP 99.3K

-17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$41.94 COP 135.5K

-30.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 PEN 8.88

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-65.46%

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

$57.3 PEN 197

$790 COP 2.6M

-92.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.45 PEN 70.4

$86.3 COP 278.9K

-76.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$59.3 COP 191.4K

-65.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.26 PEN 90.4

$98.8 COP 319.2K

-73.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 PEN 237

$667 COP 2.2M

-89.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$465 PEN 1,600

$646 COP 2.1M

-28.06%

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 Tacna: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacna

–

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Tacna

–

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacna

–

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Eating Out

Tacna

–

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Tacna

–

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Getting Around

Tacna

–

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Tacna

–

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 39% 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 $14 in Tacna versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $307 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Tacna

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Tacna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,972

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Tacna Medellin 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacna
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

Tacna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 291%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $649 per month in Tacna and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Tacna and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $433, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Tacna 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 $433 in Tacna to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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