Cusco vs Medellín
💰
Cusco saves you $500/month
🌡️
Oceanic vs Tropical Wet climate
🛂
Colombia offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Cusco
Medellín
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$1,500/mo
Rent (1BR)
$500/mo
$500/mo
Coworking
$100/mo ✓
$120/mo
Meal Out
$4 ✓
$5
Coffee
$3
$1.5 ✓
Cusco is $500/mo cheaper (33% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇵🇪 Cusco
📶 Internet60 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇨🇴 Medellín
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Cusco
ClimateOceanic
Avg Temp12°C
Rainy Days199/year
Best months: July, June
Medellín
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp21°C
Rainy Days256/year
Best months: July
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
12°20°
Apr
12°21°
Jul
11°21°
Oct
13°20°
CuscoMedellín
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇵🇪Cusco
🇨🇴Medellín
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
Winner$1,500
📶
Internet Speed
60 Mbps
50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.7/5
Winner3.3/5
⭐
Nomad Score
3.8/10
4.5/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
Winner7/10
🎉
Nightlife
6/10
9/10
Winner🚶
Walkability
8/10
7/10
👥
Community
medium
large
Winner3
Cusco wins
vs
3
Medellín wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Cusco
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Medellín
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Cusco
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Cusco
Better food scene with incredible variety
🎉Party Person
Medellín
World-famous nightlife scene
🇵🇪Cusco
Pros
- +Gateway to Machu Picchu world wonder
- +Incredible Inca history and ruins
- +Very affordable cost of living
- +World-class Peruvian cuisine
Cons
- −High altitude 3400m causes sickness
- −Variable inconsistent WiFi speeds
- −Cold nights require heating costs
- −Limited coworking space options
🇨🇴Medellín
Pros
- +Perfect spring-like weather year-round (22°C)
- +Very affordable cost of living ($1,200-1,800/mo)
- +Growing digital nomad community
- +Modern metro system (only in Colombia)
Cons
- −Safety varies by neighborhood
- −Spanish language essential
- −Altitude adjustment (1,500m)
- −Petty theft risk in tourist areas