Lima vs Medellin: cost of living for digital nomads

Lima, Peru and Medellin, Colombia, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Lima is about 20% cheaper than Medellin for a month of nomad living ($1,200 vs $1,500).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $540 in Lima against $720 in Medellin.
  • Both score 6/10 on safety.
  • Internet is faster in Medellin: 100 Mbps typical against 80 Mbps.
  • Lima is arid; Medellin is tropical.

Lima wins 5 of the measured lines; Medellin wins 2.

LineLimaMedellin
Monthly total (USD)$1,200$1,500
Rent$540$720
Food$340$380
Transport$40$45
Coworking$100$120
Safety (out of 10)6/106/10
Internet (Mbps)80100
Climatearidtropical
City sizemetrometro
Settingcoastmountain
Nomad score (out of 10)7/1010/10

Compare Lima with

Compare Medellin with

Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.