Cost of Living Comparison Between Arrest and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arrest and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,973 in Arrest versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Arrest versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,101 in Arrest versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Arrest is roughly 95% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrest is 47% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.83

$5.99 COP 21.4K

187.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 €63.4

$32.86 COP 117.4K

124.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 €12.08

$7.09 COP 25.3K

98.03%

Cappuccino

$4.69 €4.03

$1.71 COP 6,115

174.27%

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

$4.07 €3.50

$1.10 COP 3,924

270.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.78 COP 2,781

339.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 €6.95

$1.68 COP 5,997

380.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 €6.91

$3.07 COP 11.0K

161.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.09 COP 3,906

47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.26 COP 4,508

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.38 COP 4,922

113.04%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$2.19 COP 7,827

135.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.78 €22.17

$4.40 COP 15.7K

485.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €11.97

$5.63 COP 20.1K

147.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 €16.82

$8.89 COP 31.8K

119.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.34 COP 8,349

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.06 COP 3,777

133.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.89

$1.50 COP 5,374

124.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.23

$1.38 COP 4,924

172.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.15 COP 4,111

126.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$1.16 COP 4,155

164.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.89 COP 3,182

103.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.84 COP 2,997

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 €13.03

$2.28 COP 8,145

564.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 €5.40

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.20 COP 4,284

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.47 COP 8,824

61.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.86 COP 3,056

122.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.14 €41.41

$41.40 COP 147.9K

16.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 €3.92

$1.47 COP 5,264

209.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.96 COP 7,009

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.8 €48.00

$7.74 COP 27.6K

620.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$0.95 COP 3,409

118.95%

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

$35.4K €30.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

95.23%

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

$36.0K €31.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

36.11%

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

$247 €213

$82.3 COP 293.7K

200.58%

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

$16.64 €14.31

$9.50 COP 33.9K

75.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.71 €30.71

$24.23 COP 86.5K

47.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 €32.50

$25.89 COP 92.4K

45.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 €15.56

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-4.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 €13.34

$3.93 COP 14.0K

294.66%

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

$874 €752

$309 COP 1.1M

182.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,764 €7,539

$5,965 COP 21.3M

46.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$58.7 COP 209.5K

97.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 €41.04

$32.35 COP 115.5K

47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €108

$103 COP 366.4K

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €134

$108 COP 387.2K

43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €660

$476 COP 1.7M

61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 €534

$379 COP 1.4M

63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 €1,212

$838 COP 3.0M

68.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 €916

$724 COP 2.6M

47.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,263 €3,667

$2,791 COP 10.0M

52.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,359 €2,889

$1,211 COP 4.3M

177.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

13.43

-73.57%

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

Last update for Arrest: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Arrest and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Arrest vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 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

Arrest vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,960 in Arrest 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: $767 in Arrest versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $874 in Arrest 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 115% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,973 in Arrest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arrest. 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 Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arrest 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 95% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.