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: $1,087 in Alberton versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,744 in Alberton versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Alberton versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Alberton is roughly 7% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alberton 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 R 139

$5.99 COP 21.4K

42.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.30 R 541

$32.86 COP 117.4K

1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 R 73.9

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-35.83%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 34.47

$1.71 COP 6,115

23.98%

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

$1.05 R 17.13

$1.10 COP 3,924

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.04

$0.78 COP 2,781

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.43

$1.68 COP 5,997

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R 36.63

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-26.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.48

$1.09 COP 3,906

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.33

$1.26 COP 4,508

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.81

$1.38 COP 4,922

15.22%

Eggs

$2.16 R 35.06

$2.19 COP 7,827

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 R 126

$4.40 COP 15.7K

76.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.0

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-16.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.93 R 96.4

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-33.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.29

$2.34 COP 8,349

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.27

$1.06 COP 3,777

52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.03

$1.50 COP 5,374

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.61

$1.38 COP 4,924

14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.58

$1.15 COP 4,111

-0.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.16

$1.16 COP 4,155

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.88

$0.89 COP 3,182

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.71

$0.84 COP 2,997

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R 46.77

$2.28 COP 8,145

26.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.16 R 51.4

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-70.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.90

$1.20 COP 4,284

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 R 21.04

$2.47 COP 8,824

-47.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 R 45.95

$0.86 COP 3,056

229.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 R 1,792

$41.40 COP 147.9K

166.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.46

$1.47 COP 5,264

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 R 22.22

$1.96 COP 7,009

-30.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 R 49.39

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.93

$0.95 COP 3,409

29.47%

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

$19.3K R 313.5K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

6.41%

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

$26.2K R 425.3K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-1.19%

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

$124 R 2,016

$82.3 COP 293.7K

50.86%

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

$37.84 R 615

$9.50 COP 33.9K

298.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.87 R 632

$24.23 COP 86.5K

60.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 R 615

$25.89 COP 92.4K

46.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.73 R 223

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-27.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 R 88.4

$3.93 COP 14.0K

38.42%

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

$138 R 2,238

$309 COP 1.1M

-55.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,659 R 27.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-72.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.24 R 800

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.17 R 490

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-6.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 R 1,428

$103 COP 366.4K

-14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 R 1,466

$108 COP 387.2K

-16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,549

$476 COP 1.7M

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 R 5,082

$379 COP 1.4M

-17.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 R 13.8K

$838 COP 3.0M

1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

-4.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$748 R 12.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-73.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$625 R 10.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-48.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,148 R 34.9K

$512 COP 1.8M

319.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

13.43

-12.96%

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

Last update for Alberton: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Alberton and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 320% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Alberton vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $188 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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Alberton pays 320% more on average, 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: $403 in Alberton versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Alberton pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $33.00 in Alberton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,087 in Alberton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alberton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Alberton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.