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Cusco vs Medellín cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇵🇪 Cusco
🇨🇴 Medellín
At a glance
- Where Medellín is clearly cheaper: Beer (35%↓), Scooter rental (32%↓), Entry ticket (26%↓)
- Where Cusco is clearly cheaper: Transit (62%↓), Studio rent (month) (50%↓), Haircut (34%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Medellín is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Cusco 4 vs Medellín 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Cusco | Medellín | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 16,000$3.9 | similar |
| Street food1 item | S/ 5$1.35 | COL$ 7,200$1.76 | Cusco −23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S/ 55$14.9 | COL$ 57,000$13.9 | Medellín −6% |
| Coffeeone cup | S/ 9$2.43 | COL$ 8,200$2 | Medellín −18% |
| Beerone bottle | S/ 9$2.43 | COL$ 6,500$1.59 | Medellín −35% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S/ 20$5.41 | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | Cusco −26% |
| Bottled water | S/ 2.5$0.68 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | Medellín −10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S/ 3.5$0.95 | COL$ 3,500$0.85 | Medellín −10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 14,000$3.41 | Medellín −16% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S/ 7$1.89 | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | Cusco −14% |
| Transitone ride | S/ 1.5$0.41 | COL$ 4,400$1.07 | Cusco −62% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S/ 120$32.4 | COL$ 90,000$22 | Medellín −32% |
| Hotel night3-star | S/ 230$62.2 | COL$ 200,000$48.8 | Medellín −22% |
| Studio rent (month) | S/ 1,000$270 | COL$ 2,200,000$537 | Cusco −50% |
| Laundry | S/ 8$2.16 | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | Medellín −21% |
| SIM card1 week data | S/ 30$8.11 | COL$ 33,000$8.05 | similar |
| Haircutcut | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | Cusco −34% |
| Massage1 hour | S/ 60$16.2 | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | Cusco −17% |
| Half-day tourper person | S/ 60$16.2 | COL$ 100,000$24.4 | Cusco −34% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S/ 40$10.8 | COL$ 33,000$8.05 | Medellín −26% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cusco or Medellín?
Cusco is 7% cheaper than Medellín. Daily budget $107 vs $89.6; a month $1,383 vs $1,812.
Which is easier to travel, Cusco or Medellín?
Medellín is easier: Medellín 3.0/5 vs Cusco 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cusco and Medellín?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cusco is about $1,383 and Medellín about $1,812 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.