Cost of Living Comparison Between Arona and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arona and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Arona versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,633 in Arona versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Arona versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Arona is roughly 4% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arona 24% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 €14.90

$8.04 COP 24.8K

115.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 €69.4

$48.29 COP 148.9K

66.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 €8.22

$9.42 COP 29.1K

1.27%

Cappuccino

$1.79 €1.54

$2.94 COP 9,056

-39.12%

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

$4.00 €3.45

$1.86 COP 5,745

115.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.46 COP 4,487

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.56

$3.21 COP 9,899

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 €5.07

$5.71 COP 17.6K

2.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.44 COP 4,436

2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.40 COP 7,401

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 €3.59

$1.70 COP 5,237

144.71%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.72

$2.89 COP 8,911

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 €13.29

$10.06 COP 31.0K

53.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 €12.72

$9.97 COP 30.7K

48.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 €13.36

$14.20 COP 43.8K

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.49

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-27.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.58 COP 4,886

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 €2.82

$2.15 COP 6,635

52.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.30 COP 7,090

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$2.00 COP 6,179

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.51 COP 4,654

22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.20 COP 3,707

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$1.28 COP 3,953

-46.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$3.84 COP 11.8K

85.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$14.01 COP 43.2K

-66.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.71 COP 5,265

-45.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.74 COP 8,454

-35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.25 COP 3,840

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.29 €39.03

$77.9 COP 240.2K

-41.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.02

$1.31 COP 4,023

344.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.17 COP 6,692

-11.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.82 €27.42

$8.29 COP 25.6K

283.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.36 COP 4,179

50.74%

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

$37.3K €32.2K

$27.5K COP 84.7M

35.82%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$36.5K COP 112.6M

0.35%

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

$206 €178

$169 COP 520.1K

22.23%

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

$12.07 €10.40

$13.57 COP 41.8K

-11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.03 €24.16

$28.32 COP 87.3K

-1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 €54.1

$45.71 COP 140.9K

37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.82 €23.12

$17.22 COP 53.1K

55.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 €11.98

$6.65 COP 20.5K

109.02%

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

$915 €789

$803 COP 2.5M

13.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K €17.5K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

120.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 €83.5

$87.4 COP 269.3K

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.92 €33.55

$59.4 COP 183.0K

-34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 €129

$139 COP 428.2K

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$102 COP 314.6K

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 €662

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €572

$653 COP 2.0M

1.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €965

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 €810

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-10.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 €2,333

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-34.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,319 €1,999

$1,697 COP 5.2M

36.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

10.94

-68.92%

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

Last update for Arona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Arona and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Arona vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $300 per month, with Medellin 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

Arona vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,572 in Arona and $2,462 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Arona versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $915 in Arona versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Arona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Arona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arona. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arona and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Arona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.