Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lima vs Medellín

Lima vs Medellín

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 8% cheaper Lima +40 Mbps Low / N/A

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Medellín

Michael Fischer/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,284

Lima

$1,393

Medellín

Internet

219

Mbps

179

Mbps

Safety

Low

Lima

N/A

Medellín

Air Quality

5/5

Lima

5/5

Medellín

Healthcare

High

Lima

N/A

Medellín

Population

8.9m

Lima

2.2m

Medellín

Lima (Peru) and Medellín (Colombia) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lima edges ahead on affordability at $1284/mo compared to Medellín's $1393/mo — a 8% gap that matters over time.

For families, Lima costs $2188.437491200074/mo compared to Medellín's $2052.565426631332/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lima edges ahead with 219 Mbps (#26 globally) versus Medellín's 179 Mbps (#43) — a modest difference for most workflows.

Quality of Life

Both Lima and Medellín share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lima and Medellín.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lima is January (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454), while Medellín peaks in January (30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 422). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LimaMedellín

Nomad$1,284/mo$1,393/mo

Expat$794/mo$863/mo

Local$625/mo$586/mo

Family$2,188/mo$2,053/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LimaMedellín

City Speed

219 Mbps#26

179 Mbps#43

Country Speed200 Mbps166 Mbps

Environment & Health

LimaMedellín

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity7092

Quality of Life

LimaMedellín

SafetyLowN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lima

Medellín

Jan

27°

0mm454

30°

0mm422

Feb

29°

0mm454

31°

2mm350

Mar

28°

0mm454

32°

1mm350

Apr

25°

0mm434

31°

5mm335

May

21°

0mm414

32°

7mm258

Jun

18°

0mm414

30°

8mm412

Jul

17°

0mm414

30°

0mm407

Aug

17°

0mm414

30°

1mm361

Sep

18°

0mm414

31°

2mm361

Oct

19°

0mm414

31°

5mm350

Nov

23°

0mm434

29°

9mm258

Dec

25°

0mm434

30°

4mm340

Who Should Choose Lima?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1284
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 219 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2188.437491200074/mo for families
Major city energy with 8.9m residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 454

Who Should Choose Medellín?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1393
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 179 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2052.565426631332/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.2m residents
Peak season in January — 30 degrees, score 422

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Medellín's $1393/mo, that is a 8% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lima Medellín

ItemLimaMedellínDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.92$3.36

14%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.19$18.88

15%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.22$4.83

Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$1.11

58%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.09$1.05

50%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.92$1.89

52%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.86$0.7

19%

Water (0.33L)$0.57$0.55

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.22$0.67

45%

White bread (500g)$1.83$0.89

51%

White rice (1kg)$1.11$0.78

30%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.39

23%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.99$4.2

16%

Beef round (1kg)$8.2$5.56

32%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.89$3.22

53%

Apples (1kg)$1.54$2.08

26%

Bananas (1kg)$1.02$0.69

32%

Oranges (1kg)$0.93$1.02

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.98$1

Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$0.99

25%

Onions (1kg)$0.89$0.91

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$0.59

18%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.72$0.53

26%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.83$6.08

22%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.6$0.81

49%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.33$1.44

38%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.22$1.68

68%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.52$0.53

Monthly transport pass$15.66$31.47

50%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.61$1

62%

Taxi per 1km$1.44$1.47

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.27$6.29

Gasoline (1L)$1.31$0.51

61%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$18,274.38$14,685.94

20%

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,697.31$20,245.62

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$71.32$57.56

19%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.91$22.22

28%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.04

78%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$37.19$17.83

52%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$12.4$9.21

26%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.48$3.15

43%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$213.5$147.12

31%

International primary school/yr$5,851.01$4,249.93

27%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$43.81$36.27

17%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.35$28.88

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$71.57$57.89

19%

Men's leather business shoes$68.37$53.15

22%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$511.24$297.13

42%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$349.69$246.37

30%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$954.12$517.34

46%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$701.14$397.62

43%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,962.17$1,132.5

42%

Price per m², outside centre$1,483.1$1,033.79

30%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$489.76$342.66

30%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.29$10.03

17%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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