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: $1,737 in Arona versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Arona versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Arona versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Arona is roughly 72% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arona is 30% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 €16.29

$5.99 COP 21.3K

215.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.4

$32.86 COP 116.9K

184.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.92

$7.09 COP 25.2K

29.76%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.65

$1.71 COP 6,093

11.70%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$1.10 COP 3,910

181.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$0.78 COP 2,771

44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 €3.67

$1.68 COP 5,976

153.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.75

$3.07 COP 10.9K

79.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.09 COP 3,892

80.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.26 COP 4,492

96.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$1.38 COP 4,905

147.83%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.19 COP 7,799

43.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.72 €13.53

$4.40 COP 15.7K

257.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.44

$5.63 COP 20.0K

136.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 €11.88

$8.89 COP 31.6K

55.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.34 COP 8,319

17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.06 COP 3,764

61.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.66

$1.50 COP 5,355

106.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.38 COP 4,906

107.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.15 COP 4,097

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.16 COP 4,141

48.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.89 COP 3,170

51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.84 COP 2,986

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.83

$2.28 COP 8,116

196.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-46.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.20 COP 4,268

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.47 COP 8,793

9.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.86 COP 3,045

104.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.98 €37.86

$41.40 COP 147.3K

6.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €4.93

$1.47 COP 5,245

289.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.96 COP 6,984

5.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.0 €49.08

$7.74 COP 27.5K

636.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.95 COP 3,397

110.53%

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

$27.6K €23.8K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

52.48%

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

$32.9K €28.3K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

24.17%

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

$210 €181

$82.3 COP 292.7K

155.68%

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

$15.58 €13.41

$9.50 COP 33.8K

64.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 €25.59

$24.23 COP 86.2K

22.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.79

$25.89 COP 92.1K

114.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 €19.66

$19.00 COP 67.6K

20.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 €9.93

$3.93 COP 14.0K

193.64%

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

$559 €481

$309 COP 1.1M

80.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,178 €7,902

$5,965 COP 21.2M

53.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$58.7 COP 208.7K

56.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.15 €32.85

$32.35 COP 115.1K

17.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$103 COP 365.1K

5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$108 COP 385.8K

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 €636

$476 COP 1.7M

55.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 €500

$379 COP 1.3M

53.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,044

$838 COP 3.0M

44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €812

$724 COP 2.6M

30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,130 €2,695

$2,791 COP 9.9M

12.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,080 €1,791

$1,211 COP 4.3M

71.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

13.43

-65.15%

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

Last update for Arona: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Arona and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Arona vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $188 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, Getting Around. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,606 in Arona and $1,519 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: $738 in Arona versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Arona versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Arona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,737 in Arona, a $1,500 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 72% less than in Arona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.