Should you visit Medellin or Huaraz?
Should I visit Medellin or Huaraz? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Medellin
In addition to big improvements in public safety, Medellin has witnessed a huge surge in urban development projects, including Colombia's first metro system and cable cars to service poorer neighborhoods located high on the mountain sides. There is an abundance of parks, libraries, museums and public spaces with many cultural events taking place. Many travelers also enjoy visiting the surrounding villages, where life is simple and landscapes and nature reserves are wonderful. Medellin has now become one of the "it" cities in the world, with tons of tourists visiting and foreigners settling and retiring here. Beautiful mountains, warm weather, friendly locals, and a vibrant culture are just a few of the reasons why you should visit Medellin.
Huaraz
Huaraz is a large town in the Cordillera Blanca region of Peru's Central Sierra. Huaraz stands tall at 3100m; travellers from Lima might need a day or two to acclimatize to the change in atmosphere. Nearly wiped out by the earthquake of 1970, the town of 100,000 blends a mix of modern and native culture. Huarez is first and foremost a trekking metropolis. During high season the streets buzz with hundreds of backpackers and adventurers freshly returned from arduous hikes or planning their next expedition. The town has many markets, shops, quality restaurants and hopping bars catering to tourist and local needs. Mountain adventures in the off-season can be equally rewarding, but the vibe is calmer and some places go into hibernation once the rains set in.
Which city is cheaper, Huaraz or Medellin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Medellin is $16, while the average daily cost in Huaraz is $36. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Medellin and Huaraz in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $3.62. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Medellin the cost is $7.24 on average.
Huaraz's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $28. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $14.
Food
Food in Medellin costs travelers about $6.40 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
While meal prices in Huaraz can vary, the average travelers spends about $13 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Huaraz should cost around $5.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Huaraz is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Medellin $6.40
Huaraz $13
Typical Food prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Medellin:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Medellin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Medellin.
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Medellin Local Flavours: Night Street Private Food Tour:
$50
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Half-day Medellín Street Food tour with a local guide:
$65
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Homemade Paisa Dinner at a Local's Home in Medellín:
$69
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Homemade Paisa Dinner at a Local's Home in Medellín:
$69
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Community project cooking class and Medellin social transformation tour:
$70
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Private Market Tour and Colombian Cooking Lesson With a Local Family in Medellin:
$80
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Withlocals LIVE Meditation and Online Cooking for a Healthy Mind and Body:
$93
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Medellín Food Tour:
$94
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food tour:
$97
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Sabaneta and Envigado Best Local Food Tour from Medellin:
$99
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Full Day Private Medellin City, Street Art and Food Tour:
$104
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Private Market Tour & Colombian Cooking Lesson with a Local in her Medellín Home:
$111
Typical Food prices in Huaraz
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Huaraz:
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Medellin is $2.39 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The cost of a taxi ride in Huaraz is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $7.32 per person, per day, on local transportation in Huaraz.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Medellin:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Medellin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Medellin:
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Airport Transfer:
$43
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Departure Private Transfer from Medellin City to Medellin Airport MDE by 2x4 Car:
$82
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Departure Private Transfer from Medellin City to Medellin Airport MDE by Minibus:
$188
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Departure Private Transfer from Medellin City to Medellin Airport MDE by Minivan:
$188
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History and Street Art Tour in Comuna 13 with Private Transfer:
$18
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Hotel to Airport Transportation in Medellin (transfer service):
$25
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Medellin Airport Pick-up (transfer service):
$25
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Medellin Coffee Tour with transfer:
$123
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Medellín Private Transfer from Medellín City to Olaya Herrera (EOH) Airport:
$50
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Medellín Private Transfer from Olaya Herrera (EOH) Airport to Medellín City:
$50
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Medellín Private Transfer to / from Guatapé:
$55
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Private Airport Round-Trip Transfer: MDE Medellin Airport to Medellin City:
$55
Typical Local Transportation prices in Huaraz
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Huaraz are as follows:
Is it cheaper to fly into Medellin or Huaraz?
Prices for flights to both Huaraz and Medellin change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Medellin's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $10 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Entertainment and activities in Huaraz typically cost an average of $14 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Medellin
Here are a few actual costs in Medellin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Medellin Walking Tour with Snacks and Skip The Line Access:
$5.00
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Skip the Line: Museum of Antioquia Admission Ticket:
$6.50
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Virtual Tour: Colonial Santa Fe de Antioquia:
$14
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Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour:
$15
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Comuna 13 Tour Graffiti by Locals Sag Tour Medellin:
$17
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Graffiti tour electrical stairs!:
$19
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Tropical Exotic Fruits Tour in Laureles:
$19
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Storytellers Tours:
$21
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The "not polite to use his name" City Tour:
$24
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Medellín Experience (full inmersion into the Aburrá Valley and its surroundings):
$24
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The North Side - Medellín Downtown Experience:
$25
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Atours - the side b of medellín, a tour for the real city:
$25
Typical Entertainment prices in Huaraz
Here are a few typical costs in Huaraz for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Huaraz
Here are a few actual costs in Huaraz for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Traditional Picante de Cuy Gastronomy Tour in Huaraz:
$15
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Llanganuco Full Day Tour:
$21
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Pachamanca Gastronomy Tour in Huaraz:
$28
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Lake 69 Full-Day Hiking Tour from Huaraz:
$40
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From Llanganuco Lagoon fullday tour:
$50
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From Chavín de Huantar fullday tour:
$50
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From Nevado Pastoruri Tour fullday tour:
$50
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Huaraz Private City Tour:
$65
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Querococha Lake and Chavin Ruins Private Tour from Huaraz:
$73
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Pastoruri Glacier Private Full-Day Tour from Huaraz:
$73
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Full-Day Tour to Lake Paron from Huaraz, Peru:
$80
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Full-Day Tour to Callejón de Huaylas and Llanganuco:
$89
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Medellin may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $5.75 per day on alcoholic beverages.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Huaraz may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $11 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Medellin
Also in Medellin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Live the Nightlife Rooftop Pub Crawl:
$20
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Medellin private bar crawl:
$94
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Medellin Pub Crawl Including Food and City Tour:
$145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Medellin and Huaraz, we can see that Huaraz is more expensive. And not only is Medellin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Medellin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Medellin and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Huaraz would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Huaraz than you might in Medellin.
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