Cost of Living Comparison Between Alfenas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Alfenas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $648 per month in Alfenas vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,193 per month in Alfenas vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,737 per month in Alfenas vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Alfenas is about 36% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Alfenas and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Alfenas 52% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 R$18.28

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-39.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 R$133

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 R$27.75

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-21.72%

Cappuccino

$0.92 R$4.62

$1.71 COP 6,115

-46.20%

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

$0.56 R$2.78

$1.10 COP 3,924

-49.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.81

$0.78 COP 2,781

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 R$10.59

$1.68 COP 5,997

26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R$13.89

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-9.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.27

$1.09 COP 3,906

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.19

$1.26 COP 4,508

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.59

$1.38 COP 4,922

-4.35%

Eggs

$2.49 R$12.46

$2.19 COP 7,827

13.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 R$55.6

$4.40 COP 15.7K

152.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.56

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-23.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 R$46.07

$8.89 COP 31.8K

3.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 R$14.37

$2.34 COP 8,349

22.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R$9.69

$1.06 COP 3,777

83.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.11

$1.50 COP 5,374

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.23

$1.38 COP 4,924

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.17

$1.15 COP 4,111

24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.47

$1.16 COP 4,155

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 R$4.77

$0.89 COP 3,182

6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.84 COP 2,997

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$8.92

$2.28 COP 8,145

-21.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 R$48.82

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.76

$1.20 COP 4,284

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$11.66

$2.47 COP 8,824

-5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.38

$0.86 COP 3,056

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.23 R$196

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-5.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.53

$1.47 COP 5,264

-24.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.53

$1.96 COP 7,009

-63.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 R$47.14

$7.74 COP 27.6K

21.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.55

$0.95 COP 3,409

16.84%

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

$22.0K R$110.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

21.49%

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

$26.6K R$133.1K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

0.42%

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

$53.2 R$266

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-35.28%

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

$13.34 R$66.8

$9.50 COP 33.9K

40.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.81 R$89.2

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-26.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.30 R$112

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.84 R$109

$19.00 COP 67.9K

14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 R$31.79

$3.93 COP 14.0K

61.58%

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

$497 R$2,488

$309 COP 1.1M

60.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K R$75.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

152.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R$257

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 R$213

$32.35 COP 115.5K

31.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 R$390

$103 COP 366.4K

-23.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 R$372

$108 COP 387.2K

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 R$1,547

$476 COP 1.7M

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 R$450

$379 COP 1.4M

-76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 R$2,876

$838 COP 3.0M

-31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,141

$724 COP 2.6M

-40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,512 R$7,568

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-45.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,207 R$6,038

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-0.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 R$2,508

$512 COP 1.8M

-2.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

13.43

-13.92%

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

Last update for Alfenas: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $309 in Alfenas versus $476 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 2% higher in Medellin, 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 $27.00 in Alfenas versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Alfenas vs $188 in Medellin – so Medellin 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

Alfenas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $648 in Alfenas, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 56% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $972 per month in Alfenas and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Alfenas and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Alfenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $648 in Alfenas to $1,013 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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