Cost of Living Comparison Between Araxa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Araxa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $798 in Araxa versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,260 in Araxa versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,722 in Araxa versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Araxa costs roughly 21% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Araxa 40% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 R$26.86

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-10.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.85 R$134

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 R$30.89

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-12.98%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R$8.72

$1.71 COP 6,115

1.75%

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

$1.09 R$5.43

$1.10 COP 3,924

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.13

$0.78 COP 2,781

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.23

$1.68 COP 5,997

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$13.84

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$5.98

$1.09 COP 3,906

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 R$7.31

$1.26 COP 4,508

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.65

$1.38 COP 4,922

-18.12%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.75

$2.19 COP 7,827

-10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.59 R$58.0

$4.40 COP 15.7K

163.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$17.78

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 R$37.05

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.72

$2.34 COP 8,349

-8.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.29

$1.06 COP 3,777

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.77

$1.50 COP 5,374

-23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.26

$1.38 COP 4,924

5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.93

$1.15 COP 4,111

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.32

$1.16 COP 4,155

-8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.54

$0.89 COP 3,182

-20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$0.84 COP 2,997

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.44

$2.28 COP 8,145

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 R$39.13

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.62

$1.20 COP 4,284

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.10

$2.47 COP 8,824

-18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.17

$0.86 COP 3,056

19.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.85 R$189

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-8.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.34

$1.47 COP 5,264

-27.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.80

$1.96 COP 7,009

-61.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 R$32.73

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-15.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.13

$0.95 COP 3,409

7.37%

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

$20.8K R$104.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

14.84%

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

$27.1K R$135.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

2.32%

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

$61.4 R$307

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-25.33%

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

$13.74 R$68.8

$9.50 COP 33.9K

44.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.46 R$87.4

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-27.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.22 R$106

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-18.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 R$107

$19.00 COP 67.9K

12.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 R$30.12

$3.93 COP 14.0K

53.18%

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

$353 R$1,767

$309 COP 1.1M

14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,581 R$32.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 R$288

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.28 R$182

$32.35 COP 115.5K

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 R$395

$103 COP 366.4K

-23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 R$289

$108 COP 387.2K

-46.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,549

$476 COP 1.7M

-35.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,073

$379 COP 1.4M

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R$2,934

$838 COP 3.0M

-30.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 R$2,155

$724 COP 2.6M

-40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 R$7,223

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-48.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,032 R$5,166

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-14.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 R$1,216

$512 COP 1.8M

-52.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

13.43

-18.69%

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

Last update for Araxa: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Araxa and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 111% 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: $27.00 in Araxa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $188 per month, with Araxa 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

Araxa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Araxa wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Araxa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 111% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Araxa versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $798 per month in Araxa versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Araxa runs roughly 9% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $798 in Araxa versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Araxa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Araxa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Araxa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $798 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Araxa hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Araxa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.