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: $918 in Alexandria versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,407 in Alexandria versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Alexandria versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 46% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alexandria is 33% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 RON 39.62

$8.03 COP 25.2K

9.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.51 RON 147

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 RON 34.77

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-21.19%

Cappuccino

$1.74 RON 7.85

$2.91 COP 9,149

-40.21%

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

$1.93 RON 8.71

$1.94 COP 6,110

-0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RON 7.06

$1.52 COP 4,783

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 RON 9.81

$3.09 COP 9,721

-29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 RON 11.83

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 6.78

$1.36 COP 4,287

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 RON 3.78

$2.39 COP 7,505

-64.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.45

$1.70 COP 5,346

-28.82%

Eggs

$2.19 RON 9.90

$2.87 COP 9,021

-23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.16 RON 23.31

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-48.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 RON 21.20

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-56.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 RON 38.32

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-42.43%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.10

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-77.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.35

$1.57 COP 4,940

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$2.13 COP 6,682

-53.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.58

$2.21 COP 6,959

-54.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 RON 3.10

$2.05 COP 6,435

-66.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 2.93

$1.50 COP 4,728

-56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$1.19 COP 3,740

-37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RON 4.04

$1.16 COP 3,640

-23.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 RON 24.97

$3.90 COP 12.2K

41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 24.32

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-62.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.35

$1.58 COP 4,978

-39.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$2.83 COP 8,889

-61.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 RON 2.85

$1.17 COP 3,672

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.26 RON 200

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-43.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 RON 2.04

$1.28 COP 4,038

-64.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 RON 1.91

$2.09 COP 6,576

-79.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 RON 26.06

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.57

$1.30 COP 4,080

29.23%

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

$17.2K RON 77.5K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-37.98%

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

$23.7K RON 107.0K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-33.30%

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

$122 RON 551

$176 COP 553.4K

-30.72%

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

$5.59 RON 25.26

$13.37 COP 42.0K

-58.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.02 RON 36.21

$29.89 COP 94.0K

-73.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 RON 283

$44.76 COP 140.7K

40.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 RON 121

$17.06 COP 53.6K

57.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 RON 29.36

$6.20 COP 19.5K

4.84%

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

$326 RON 1,474

$793 COP 2.5M

-58.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,983 RON 31.5K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-22.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 RON 253

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-34.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 RON 104

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-60.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 RON 305

$136 COP 428.4K

-50.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 RON 302

$103 COP 324.1K

-35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 RON 1,507

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-68.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 RON 1,146

$680 COP 2.1M

-62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 RON 2,782

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,021

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-61.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 RON 5,934

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-68.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$838 RON 3,784

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-50.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$906 RON 4,093

$665 COP 2.1M

36.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

10.94

-38.48%

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

Last update for Alexandria: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $334 in Alexandria and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Alexandria vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $303 per month, with Alexandria 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 wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Alexandria, 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: $334 in Alexandria versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Alexandria versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 76% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Alexandria versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.