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: $1,995 in Arrest versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Arrest versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,077 in Arrest versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Arrest is roughly 94% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrest is 49% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$6.16 COP 20.0K

186.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 €62.3

$32.60 COP 106.0K

118.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €12.07

$7.34 COP 23.9K

88.15%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.99

$1.72 COP 5,592

165.70%

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

$3.98 €3.48

$1.05 COP 3,416

279.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.90

$0.77 COP 2,511

331.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.17

$1.69 COP 5,480

385.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 €7.02

$3.17 COP 10.3K

153.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.05 COP 3,418

49.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.30 COP 4,230

56.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.40 COP 4,538

105.71%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.37

$2.16 COP 7,037

131.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.91 €22.64

$4.39 COP 14.3K

490.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.08 €12.30

$5.88 COP 19.1K

139.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.32

$8.64 COP 28.1K

129.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 €3.10

$2.28 COP 7,415

55.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.11 COP 3,599

115.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$1.53 COP 4,976

130.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.39

$1.35 COP 4,405

186.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.13 COP 3,669

141.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.13 COP 3,687

175.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.66

$0.85 COP 2,749

122.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.91 COP 2,971

-4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 €13.13

$2.34 COP 7,619

541.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €7.86

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.20 COP 3,904

127.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.55

$2.49 COP 8,094

63.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.84 COP 2,724

138.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 €42.26

$40.57 COP 131.9K

19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.94

$1.42 COP 4,617

217.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.92 COP 6,227

7.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.6 €49.45

$7.66 COP 24.9K

638.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.89

$0.99 COP 3,219

118.18%

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

$35.1K €30.6K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

94.48%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

38.61%

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

$248 €217

$80.8 COP 262.7K

207.21%

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

$16.95 €14.81

$9.95 COP 32.3K

70.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.70 €31.19

$24.18 COP 78.6K

47.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 €32.72

$25.08 COP 81.5K

49.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 €16.12

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-3.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 €13.74

$3.98 COP 13.0K

294.97%

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

$885 €773

$305 COP 992.2K

190.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,717 €7,616

$6,059 COP 19.7M

43.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.2

$58.1 COP 189.0K

95.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 €41.09

$32.20 COP 104.7K

46.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$101 COP 327.5K

20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €137

$108 COP 350.3K

46.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 €677

$477 COP 1.5M

62.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 €541

$376 COP 1.2M

64.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 €1,233

$845 COP 2.7M

67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €961

$730 COP 2.4M

50.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,274

$3,215 COP 10.5M

16.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,762 €2,414

$1,372 COP 4.5M

101.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Arrest and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arrest vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $193 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 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,993 in Arrest and $1,546 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: $775 in Arrest versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $885 in Arrest versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,995 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 94% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.