Cost of Living Comparison Between Alberton and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alberton and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,254 in Alberton versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Alberton versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Alberton versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Alberton costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alberton is 8% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.41 R 153

$8.02 COP 25.3K

17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.58 R 611

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-21.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 R 81.6

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-49.24%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.49

$3.13 COP 9,873

-24.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.14

$1.91 COP 6,019

-41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.67

$1.51 COP 4,763

-44.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 R 40.46

$3.12 COP 9,853

-20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.82

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-57.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.24

$1.44 COP 4,558

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.00

$2.49 COP 7,843

-55.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.41

$1.77 COP 5,595

5.65%

Eggs

$2.29 R 37.28

$2.96 COP 9,336

-22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 135

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R 84.1

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-48.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 R 102

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-56.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.50

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.48

$1.61 COP 5,073

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.27

$2.25 COP 7,083

-22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.21

$2.25 COP 7,104

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R 18.63

$2.04 COP 6,444

-43.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.76

$1.54 COP 4,842

-20.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.25

$1.17 COP 3,691

6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.01

$1.31 COP 4,121

-29.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 R 51.7

$3.90 COP 12.3K

-18.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.04 R 49.38

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-78.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 21.82

$1.74 COP 5,498

-22.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.26

$2.87 COP 9,053

-54.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 R 49.40

$1.22 COP 3,834

149.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 R 2,040

$80.5 COP 253.9K

55.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.79

$1.31 COP 4,129

-77.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R 13.38

$2.19 COP 6,899

-62.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 R 243

$8.71 COP 27.5K

71.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.15

$1.37 COP 4,306

-0.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.4K R 510.0K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

12.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.5K R 544.5K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-6.37%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$154 R 2,510

$177 COP 559.3K

-12.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.99 R 618

$13.88 COP 43.8K

173.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.00 R 601

$29.72 COP 93.8K

24.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 R 661

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 R 253

$17.12 COP 54.0K

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 R 97.1

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-10.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$153 R 2,494

$813 COP 2.6M

-81.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,858 R 30.2K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-79.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 R 876

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-39.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 533

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 R 1,559

$138 COP 435.9K

-30.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 R 1,386

$102 COP 322.1K

-16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 R 7,307

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-57.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 5,946

$663 COP 2.1M

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 R 15.3K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 R 16.3K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$741 R 12.0K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-82.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$623 R 10.1K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-62.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,167 R 35.2K

$678 COP 2.1M

219.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.94

3.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alberton: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Alberton and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 220% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Alberton vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $305 per month, with Alberton cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alberton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 220% higher in Alberton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Alberton versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,254 in Alberton versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.