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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,204 in Alexandria, MN versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,388 in Alexandria, MN versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,573 in Alexandria, MN versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Alexandria, MN is roughly 118% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alexandria, MN is 65% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.76 $14.76

$5.99 COP 21.3K

146.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 $59.5

$32.86 COP 116.9K

81.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$7.09 COP 25.2K

41.47%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$1.71 COP 6,093

203.51%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.10 COP 3,910

85.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.78 COP 2,771

158.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.68 COP 5,976

223.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.07 COP 10.9K

132.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.09 COP 3,892

-10.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.26 COP 4,492

155.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.38 COP 4,905

186.96%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.19 COP 7,799

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$4.40 COP 15.7K

114.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$5.63 COP 20.0K

105.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$8.89 COP 31.6K

58.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.34 COP 8,319

120.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.06 COP 3,764

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$1.50 COP 5,355

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.38 COP 4,906

267.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.15 COP 4,097

227.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.16 COP 4,141

225.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.89 COP 3,170

126.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.84 COP 2,986

136.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.59 $10.59

$2.28 COP 8,116

364.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 $16.31

$10.64 COP 37.9K

53.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.20 COP 4,268

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.47 COP 8,793

84.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.86 COP 3,045

126.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 $127

$41.40 COP 147.3K

205.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.47 COP 5,245

231.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.96 COP 6,984

-30.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.36 $29.36

$7.74 COP 27.5K

279.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.95 COP 3,397

-9.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

98.50%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-2.07%

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

$222 $222

$82.3 COP 292.7K

170.36%

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

$48.10 $48.10

$9.50 COP 33.8K

406.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$24.23 COP 86.2K

199.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$25.89 COP 92.1K

193.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 $50.8

$19.00 COP 67.6K

167.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 $10.20

$3.93 COP 14.0K

159.54%

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

$999 $999

$309 COP 1.1M

222.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.8K $29.8K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

399.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.26 $25.26

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-56.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.71 $24.71

$32.35 COP 115.1K

-23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.5 $50.5

$103 COP 365.1K

-50.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 $60.0

$108 COP 385.8K

-44.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 $1,090

$476 COP 1.7M

128.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 $908

$379 COP 1.3M

139.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$838 COP 3.0M

151.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$724 COP 2.6M

151.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,799 $2,799

$2,791 COP 9.9M

0.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,815 $2,815

$1,211 COP 4.3M

132.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,360 $3,360

$512 COP 1.8M

556.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

13.43

-52.12%

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

Last update for Alexandria, MN: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Alexandria, MN and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, MN pays 557% 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: $60.0 in Alexandria, MN vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $188 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, MN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Alexandria, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Alexandria, MN pays 557% 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: $1,090 in Alexandria, MN versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $999 in Alexandria, MN versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Alexandria, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,204 in Alexandria, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Alexandria, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.