Cost of Living Comparison Between Arun and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arun and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Arun vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,345 per month in Arun vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,425 per month in Arun vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Arun costs about 124% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Arun sits 69% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.12 £14.24

$5.99 COP 21.3K

219.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.6

$32.86 COP 116.9K

233.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.05

$7.09 COP 25.2K

52.33%

Cappuccino

$2.66 £1.98

$1.71 COP 6,093

55.56%

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

$2.87 £2.14

$1.10 COP 3,910

160.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$0.78 COP 2,771

137.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 £2.07

$1.68 COP 5,976

64.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.49

$3.07 COP 10.9K

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.09 COP 3,892

62.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.26 COP 4,492

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$1.38 COP 4,905

78.99%

Eggs

$5.02 £3.74

$2.19 COP 7,799

129.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 £3.50

$4.40 COP 15.7K

6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 £6.59

$5.63 COP 20.0K

57.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 £10.89

$8.89 COP 31.6K

64.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$2.34 COP 8,319

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.06 COP 3,764

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$1.50 COP 5,355

114.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 £2.58

$1.38 COP 4,906

150.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.15 COP 4,097

14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.16 COP 4,141

-5.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 £0.58

$0.89 COP 3,170

-12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 £0.80

$0.84 COP 2,986

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.25 £13.60

$2.28 COP 8,116

700.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 £9.87

$10.64 COP 37.9K

24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.20 COP 4,268

65.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 £2.91

$2.47 COP 8,793

57.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 £3.27

$0.86 COP 3,045

410.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.4

$41.40 COP 147.3K

112.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £4.00

$1.47 COP 5,245

265.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.96 COP 6,984

-10.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 £30.70

$7.74 COP 27.5K

432.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.95 COP 3,397

96.84%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

115.91%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

48.65%

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

$321 £239

$82.3 COP 292.7K

290.42%

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

$19.59 £14.60

$9.50 COP 33.8K

106.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.11 £32.11

$24.23 COP 86.2K

77.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 £40.23

$25.89 COP 92.1K

108.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 £4.46

$3.93 COP 14.0K

52.42%

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

$2,519 £1,877

$309 COP 1.1M

714.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

367.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.99 £25.32

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-42.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.26 £28.51

$32.35 COP 115.1K

18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.5

$103 COP 365.1K

23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 £50.6

$108 COP 385.8K

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £869

$476 COP 1.7M

144.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 £756

$379 COP 1.3M

167.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 £1,489

$838 COP 3.0M

138.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 £1,251

$724 COP 2.6M

131.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,359

$2,791 COP 9.9M

61.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,540 £2,637

$512 COP 1.8M

591.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

13.43

-62.40%

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

Last update for Arun: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Arun versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 592% higher in Arun, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $188 – 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

Arun vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arun costs about 124% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,397 per month in Arun and $1,519 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,265 in Arun and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Arun at $2,265. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $2,265 in Arun. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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