---
title: "Arequipa vs Medellín for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-medellin
description: "Under balanced weights Medellín edges it, 50 to 47, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arequipa is stronger on safety, air quality; Medellín on cost of living, healthcare, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Arequipa vs Medellín for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Medellín edges it, 50 to 47, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arequipa is stronger on safety, air quality; Medellín on cost of living, healthcare, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 52 | 84 | Medellín |
| Safety | 44 | 16 | Arequipa |
| Healthcare | 60 | 73 | Medellín |
| Internet | 52 | 54 | Medellín |
| Visa ease | 59 | 71 | Medellín |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 25 | Medellín |
| Climate | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Air quality | 82 | 70 | Arequipa |
| Quality of life | 54 | 53 | Arequipa |

## Cost

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,406 | $677 | Medellín |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $651 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 6.2 | 35.7 | Arequipa |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.7 | 49.3 | Arequipa |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | 82 | Medellín |
| Life expectancy | 71.7 yrs | 74.5 yrs | Medellín |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 20.1 Mbps | 22.6 Mbps | Medellín |
| Upload | 12.8 Mbps | 11.5 Mbps | Arequipa |

## Visa

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Visa V Trabajador Remoto / Nómadas Digitales | Medellín |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days | 90 days | Arequipa |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 180 days | 90 days | Arequipa |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Arequipa |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Medellín |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Arequipa | Medellín | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 18.4 µg/m³ | Arequipa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Arequipa or Medellín?

Medellín is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $1,406 for one person.

### Is Arequipa or Medellín safer?

Arequipa scores higher on safety (44 vs 16), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Arequipa or Medellín?

Medellín: a measured median of 22.6 Mbps versus 20.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Arequipa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/arequipa) · [Medellín](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/medellin). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-medellin