Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,374 per month in Argostoli vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,069 per month in Argostoli vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,765 per month in Argostoli vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Argostoli costs about 33% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Argostoli sits 3% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €10.21

$6.16 COP 20.1K

89.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 €48.71

$32.60 COP 106.1K

70.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.52 €7.46

$7.34 COP 23.9K

16.08%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.36

$1.72 COP 5,600

123.84%

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

$1.65 €1.44

$1.05 COP 3,420

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.53

$0.77 COP 2,515

-20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 €3.93

$1.69 COP 5,488

165.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.12

$3.17 COP 10.3K

48.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.05 COP 3,423

60.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.30 COP 4,236

3.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.02

$1.40 COP 4,544

65.00%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.52

$2.16 COP 7,047

86.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.80

$4.39 COP 14.3K

155.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €8.06

$5.88 COP 19.1K

56.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 €12.39

$8.64 COP 28.1K

64.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.28 COP 7,426

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$1.11 COP 3,604

132.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.53 COP 4,983

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.19

$1.35 COP 4,410

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.13 COP 3,674

10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.13 COP 3,692

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.85 COP 2,753

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$0.91 COP 2,975

34.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.32

$2.34 COP 7,630

160.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 €5.53

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.15

$1.20 COP 3,909

104.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.32

$2.49 COP 8,104

52.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.39

$0.84 COP 2,728

89.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.96 €41.08

$40.57 COP 132.1K

15.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.46

$1.42 COP 4,623

178.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.89

$1.92 COP 6,235

-46.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 €10.22

$7.66 COP 24.9K

52.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.84

$0.99 COP 3,223

112.12%

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

$32.0K €28.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

77.71%

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

$24.8K €21.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-6.88%

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

$220 €193

$80.8 COP 263.1K

172.83%

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

$21.97 €19.22

$9.95 COP 32.4K

120.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.08 €28.94

$24.18 COP 78.7K

36.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 €41.53

$25.08 COP 81.7K

89.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.11 €22.85

$19.15 COP 62.3K

36.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 €7.89

$3.98 COP 13.0K

126.38%

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

$506 €442

$305 COP 993.5K

65.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,518 €5,702

$6,059 COP 19.7M

7.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 €56.0

$58.1 COP 189.2K

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 €28.10

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 €58.3

$101 COP 327.9K

-33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €92.1

$108 COP 350.8K

-2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 €428

$477 COP 1.6M

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €342

$376 COP 1.2M

3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 €682

$845 COP 2.7M

-7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €533

$730 COP 2.4M

-16.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,843 €2,487

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-11.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 €2,066

$1,372 COP 4.5M

72.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

13.43

-67.09%

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

Last update for Argostoli: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Argostoli versus $477 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Argostoli versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Argostoli vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Argostoli is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,060 per month in Argostoli and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 45% more in Argostoli, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Argostoli and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Argostoli at $1,374. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Argostoli it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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