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: $860 in Alexandria versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,419 in Alexandria versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,978 in Alexandria versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 36% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 RON 40.68

$5.99 COP 21.4K

50.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.89 RON 153

$32.86 COP 117.4K

3.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 RON 30.94

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-3.53%

Cappuccino

$1.87 RON 8.44

$1.71 COP 6,115

9.36%

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

$1.94 RON 8.78

$1.10 COP 3,924

76.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.41

$0.78 COP 2,781

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.15

$1.68 COP 5,997

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 RON 12.83

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-7.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.06

$1.09 COP 3,906

22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 RON 5.73

$1.26 COP 4,508

0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.37

$1.38 COP 4,922

2.17%

Eggs

$1.40 RON 6.31

$2.19 COP 7,827

-36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 RON 24.15

$4.40 COP 15.7K

21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 RON 20.26

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 RON 38.82

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$2.34 COP 8,349

-61.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 6.80

$1.06 COP 3,777

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.31

$1.50 COP 5,374

-21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 RON 5.07

$1.38 COP 4,924

-18.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 RON 2.18

$1.15 COP 4,111

-58.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.21

$1.16 COP 4,155

-38.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 RON 2.01

$0.89 COP 3,182

-50.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.26

$0.84 COP 2,997

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 25.53

$2.28 COP 8,145

147.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 RON 25.41

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-47.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.24

$1.20 COP 4,284

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.10

$2.47 COP 8,824

-63.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$0.86 COP 3,056

-16.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 RON 104

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-44.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 RON 2.13

$1.47 COP 5,264

-68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 RON 1.97

$1.96 COP 7,009

-77.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 RON 23.50

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.16

$0.95 COP 3,409

66.32%

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

$18.1K RON 81.7K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

-0.31%

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

$23.9K RON 107.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-9.89%

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

$115 RON 521

$82.3 COP 293.7K

40.01%

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

$6.98 RON 31.55

$9.50 COP 33.9K

-26.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.86 RON 31.01

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-71.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 RON 174

$25.89 COP 92.4K

49.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.09 RON 41.07

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 RON 21.05

$3.93 COP 14.0K

18.58%

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

$436 RON 1,971

$309 COP 1.1M

40.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,987 RON 31.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

17.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 RON 306

$58.7 COP 209.5K

15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 RON 158

$32.35 COP 115.5K

8.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 RON 313

$103 COP 366.4K

-32.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 RON 310

$108 COP 387.2K

-36.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 RON 1,576

$476 COP 1.7M

-26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 RON 1,047

$379 COP 1.4M

-38.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 RON 3,624

$838 COP 3.0M

-4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 RON 2,580

$724 COP 2.6M

-21.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,357 RON 6,135

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-51.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$843 RON 3,811

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-30.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 RON 6,021

$512 COP 1.8M

160.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

13.43

-51.60%

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

Last update for Alexandria: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Alexandria and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Alexandria vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $155 vs $188, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

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 18% 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.

Alexandria pays 160% 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: $349 in Alexandria versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $860 per month in Alexandria versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 79% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $860 in Alexandria versus $1,013 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 $860 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 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.