Which place is cheaper, Medellin or Pereira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pereira or Medellin?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Pereira and Medellin. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Pereira or Medellin?
Pereira
Situated in a small valley in the western Andes, Pereira is the capital city of Risaralda, Colombia. The city is surrounded by coffee producing agriculture and sits in the middle of a triangle of cities including Bogota, Medillin and Cali, each of which is about a three to five hour drive away.
The city itself is very much student oriented, as there are many universities around town and at least one quarter of the population is made up of students. There is also a very European vibe to the city and you will find the area beautiful with many parks and museums.
Pereira's economy is based on government, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, trade, commerce, and tourism. Agricultural products include sugarcane, cacao, rubber, cereals, coffee, and livestock. Apparel is the main manufacturing product, along with aluminium goods, motorcycles and telecommunications technology.
Pereira is found in a warm moorland area with an average temperature of around 72 degrees. The temperatures remain relatively consistent throughout the year with highs in the high 70s Fahrenheit to low 80s Fahrenheit. Low temperatures are usually in the low 60s Fahrenheit. Rain is heaviest during the months of April and May as well as October and November.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia, The Best Luxury Tours to Colombia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Colombia, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Bogota.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPereira $61Medellin $21
The average daily cost (per person) in Pereira is $61, while the average daily cost in Medellin is $21. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Pereira and Medellin in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPereira $25Medellin $4.44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPereira $50Medellin $8.88
Compare Hotels in Pereira and Medellin
Looking for a hotel in Pereira or Medellin? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Pereira Hotel Prices and Medellin Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pereira $19Medellin $3.87
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pereira
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Pereira are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pereira
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pereira:
- Private Transfer Pereira to Salento (or vice versa): $62
- Manizales Arrival or Departure Transfer La Nubia Airport: $20
- Manizales Arrival or Departure Transfer: Matecaña Airport: $43
- Manizales Arrival or Departure Transfer: Matecaña Intl Airport: $41
- One way transfer from Pereira to Salento AND/OR Salento to Pereira: $43
- Pereira Airport to Pereira (or vice versa) Private Transfer: $16
- Pereira Airport(PEI)to Santa Rosa Cabal- Arrival Private Transfer: $64
- Pereira to Armenia (or vice versa) - Private Transfer: $68
- Pereira to Salento (or vice versa) Private Transfer: $62
- One-Way Private Transfer from Matecaña Airport: $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Medellin:
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Taxi$1.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Medellin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Medellin:
- Airport Transfer: $50
- Downtown hotels to Medellin Airport (MDE) - Departure Transfer: $21
- Guatapé Transfer: José María Córdova Airport: $42
- Medellín Airport Transfer: $50
- Medellín Private Transfer from Medellín City to Olaya Herrera (EOH) Airport: $44
- Medellín to or from Guatapé Private Transfer: $63
- Medellin Airport (EOH) to Medellin hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $55
- Medellin Airport (MDE) to Downtown hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $42
- Medellin Airport MDE to Downtown Arrival Private Transfer: $21
- Medellin Coffee Tour with transfer: $123
- Medellin J.M.C Intl Airport (MDE) - Private Arrival / Departure Transfer : $77
- Medellin Private Airport Pick-up transfer service: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Pereira or Medellin?
Prices for flights to both Medellin and Pereira 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPereira $22Medellin $8.99
Typical Food Prices in Pereira
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Pereira:
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Hamburger$1.59
Typical Food Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Medellin:
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Lunch$1.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Medellin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Medellin.
- Cooking Class Preparing Colombian Empanadas: $12
- Private Empanada Cooking Class in Guatape: $24
- Community project cooking class and Medellin social transformation tour: $65
- Homemade Paisa Dinner at a Local's Home in Medellín: $69
- Homemade Paisa Dinner at a Local's Home in Medellín: $71
- Private Street Food Tour, Eat like a Local in Medellin!: $85
- Medellín Food Tour: $94
- Sabaneta and Envigado Best Local Food Tour from Medellin: $99
- Medellin tour with Fernando Botero´s, street art and food tour: $145
- Medellin City Tour Including The History of Tango and Lunch or Dinner: $145
- Best Food Tour and Horseback Adventure in Medellin: $163
- Comuna 13, Fruit & Street Food Tour: $166
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pereira $17Medellin $12
Tours and Activities in Pereira
Here are a few actual costs in Pereira for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Coffee Tour at the Finca del Café: $40
- City Tour Historic Center of Manizales in Caldas: $46
- Santa Rita Waterfall and Salento Hike Tour: $48
- Filandia and Salento Coffee Towns Tour: $57
- Eco-Park Recinto del Pensamiento Tour: $84
- Manizales City Tour with Cable Car and Chipre Viewpoint : $87
- Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour with Lunch: $87
- Cocora Valley and Salento Hike Tour: $88
- Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour with Lunch: $88
- Paratrike experience over the sky of Colombia: $95
- Filandia, Salento and Cocora Valley Tour: $100
- Tour to hot springs of Santa Rosa from Pereira, Armenia or Salento: $104
Tours and Activities in Medellin
Here are a few actual costs in Medellin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Skip the Line: Museum of Antioquia Admission Ticket: $7.20
- History and Street Art Tour in Comuna 13: $8.00
- Graffiti tour in commune 13 guided by locals: $10
- Graffitour Medellín: History, Transformation and Overcoming": $13
- Shared Tour of the Historical and Cultural Center of Medellín: $13
- Shared Tour of El Poblado "Sin Taboos" in Medellin: $13
- Comuna 13 Medellín (Graffitour) Discover the Transformation: $13
- Virtual Tour: Colonial Santa Fe de Antioquia: $14
- Commune 13 Graffitour With Snacks Included: $14
- Graffiti Tour | Commune 13 guided by locals and Snacks: $15
- COMUNA 13 Graffiti Tour: $15
- Medellin Shared Walking Tour Metro ticket included: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPereira $13Medellin $6.74
Sample the Local Flavors in Medellin
Also in Medellin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- 4 Hours Pub Crawl Nightlife in Medellin: $41
- Live the Nightlife Rooftop Pub Crawl : $49
- Chill Music, Food, Brewery & Sight seeing Tour : $75
- Medellin Private Bar Crawl: $125
- All-Inclusive Comuna 13 Nightlife Bar Crawl with Locals: $130
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pereira and Medellin, we can see that Pereira 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 Pereira would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pereira than you might in Medellin.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pereira Expensive? and Is Medellin Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pereira or Medellin?
Medellin has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Pereira. When comparing the sizes of Pereira and Medellin, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.