Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Alexandria versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,684 in Alexandria versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Alexandria versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 41% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alexandria is 26% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.90 JMD 2,505

$8.03 COP 25.2K

98.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 JMD 12.0K

$48.26 COP 151.7K

58.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 JMD 1,413

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-8.19%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 858

$2.91 COP 9,149

87.29%

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

$1.19 JMD 187

$1.94 COP 6,110

-38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$1.52 COP 4,783

-54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 JMD 339

$3.09 COP 9,721

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 483

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-46.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 667

$1.36 COP 4,287

211.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 JMD 602

$2.39 COP 7,505

59.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 256

$1.70 COP 5,346

-4.71%

Eggs

$3.51 JMD 554

$2.87 COP 9,021

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 JMD 1,778

$9.94 COP 31.2K

13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 980

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-42.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 JMD 1,642

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 JMD 933

$4.09 COP 12.8K

44.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.95 JMD 622

$1.57 COP 4,940

151.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.47 JMD 1,178

$2.13 COP 6,682

250.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 471

$2.21 COP 6,959

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 509

$2.05 COP 6,435

57.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 JMD 422

$1.50 COP 4,728

78.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 JMD 477

$1.19 COP 3,740

154.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.16 COP 3,640

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 JMD 1,475

$3.90 COP 12.2K

140.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 JMD 1,819

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-20.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 443

$1.58 COP 4,978

77.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 JMD 639

$2.83 COP 8,889

43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 JMD 184

$1.28 COP 4,038

-8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 508

$2.09 COP 6,576

54.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 JMD 978

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-28.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 220

$1.30 COP 4,080

6.92%

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

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

$27.7K COP 86.9M

60.46%

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-8.93%

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

$173 JMD 27.2K

$176 COP 553.4K

-1.99%

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

$30.02 JMD 4,731

$13.37 COP 42.0K

124.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,434

$29.89 COP 94.0K

79.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 JMD 2,114

$6.20 COP 19.5K

116.29%

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

$366 JMD 57.7K

$793 COP 2.5M

-53.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 JMD 1.3M

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-9.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.84 JMD 3,756

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-72.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 JMD 4,964

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-46.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 JMD 12.2K

$136 COP 428.4K

-43.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$103 COP 324.1K

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

10.94

-13.62%

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

Last update for Alexandria: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $76.0 in Alexandria vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $303 per month, with Medellin 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

Alexandria vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria and Medellin differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,716 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Alexandria and $2,574 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $366 in Alexandria versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,016 in Alexandria versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.