Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,024 per month in Alexandra vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Alexandra vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,131 per month in Alexandra vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Alexandra costs about 1% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Alexandra and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Alexandra 24% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 R 139

$5.95 COP 20.8K

44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.80 R 546

$33.33 COP 116.3K

1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 R 75.3

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-35.68%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.26

$1.63 COP 5,687

26.38%

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

$1.00 R 16.10

$1.09 COP 3,821

-8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.11

$0.73 COP 2,548

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 R 35.37

$1.74 COP 6,065

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R 41.76

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.65

$1.05 COP 3,662

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.29

$1.29 COP 4,515

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.53

$1.32 COP 4,617

19.70%

Eggs

$2.48 R 40.13

$2.27 COP 7,927

9.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$4.35 COP 15.2K

81.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 R 73.5

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.27 R 101

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-27.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.24

$2.25 COP 7,844

-28.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.43

$1.07 COP 3,733

41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.66

$1.52 COP 5,322

0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.02

$1.42 COP 4,964

13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.17

$1.17 COP 4,084

17.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 18.84

$1.17 COP 4,077

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.53

$0.89 COP 3,096

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.08

$0.90 COP 3,146

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 46.44

$2.25 COP 7,837

27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 81.5

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-54.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.28

$1.14 COP 3,977

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 R 26.11

$2.38 COP 8,301

-31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.24

$0.84 COP 2,916

101.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.61

$1.41 COP 4,912

-18.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.90 COP 6,634

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 R 50.1

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-60.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.59

$1.01 COP 3,509

25.74%

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

$19.2K R 310.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

9.38%

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

$23.8K R 384.2K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-10.30%

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

$120 R 1,935

$83.7 COP 292.1K

43.01%

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

$37.26 R 602

$9.45 COP 33.0K

294.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.83 R 612

$24.11 COP 84.1K

56.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 R 506

$25.31 COP 88.3K

23.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 R 116

$4.10 COP 14.3K

74.63%

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

$199 R 3,221

$312 COP 1.1M

-36.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,355 R 70.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-27.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.49 R 800

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 522

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 R 1,403

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,270

$109 COP 378.8K

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 5,893

$482 COP 1.7M

-24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 R 5,496

$379 COP 1.3M

-10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 R 11.2K

$837 COP 2.9M

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

-5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$923 R 14.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-67.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$599 R 9,681

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-51.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,786 R 28.9K

$541 COP 1.9M

230.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.43

-14.30%

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

Last update for Alexandra: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Alexandra versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 230% higher in Alexandra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Alexandra versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Alexandra vs $190 in Medellin – so Alexandra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Alexandra vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra costs about 1% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Alexandra and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,024 in Alexandra and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Alexandra and $312 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Alexandra at $1,024. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alexandra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,017 versus $1,024 in Alexandra. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alexandra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.