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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,235 per month in Arun vs $1,014 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,360 per month in Arun vs $1,596 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,484 per month in Arun vs $2,178 in Medellin, rent included.

Arun costs about 120% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Arun sits 66% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 £14.03

$6.14 COP 22.2K

208.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.1

$33.05 COP 119.3K

235.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £7.99

$7.32 COP 26.4K

47.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 £2.06

$1.66 COP 5,987

67.47%

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

$2.86 £2.12

$1.10 COP 3,987

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.38

$0.78 COP 2,822

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.71 COP 6,188

61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.54

$3.17 COP 11.5K

8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.11 COP 4,012

60.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.31 COP 4,719

60.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.90

$1.38 COP 4,980

86.23%

Eggs

$4.79 £3.55

$2.22 COP 8,009

115.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 £3.47

$4.34 COP 15.7K

7.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 £6.47

$5.80 COP 20.9K

50.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 £10.92

$8.98 COP 32.4K

64.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$2.26 COP 8,164

-8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.11 COP 4,023

28.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 £2.37

$1.46 COP 5,284

119.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.65

$1.37 COP 4,929

161.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.11 COP 4,009

25.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 £0.79

$1.16 COP 4,199

-7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 £0.60

$0.89 COP 3,211

-8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 £0.83

$0.87 COP 3,124

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.39 £13.63

$2.35 COP 8,495

682.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 £10.46

$10.86 COP 39.2K

29.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.20 COP 4,330

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 £2.97

$2.48 COP 8,946

61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 £3.30

$0.79 COP 2,842

463.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 £65.8

$40.77 COP 147.2K

117.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.14

$1.42 COP 5,137

293.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.91 COP 6,900

-8.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.10 £30.46

$7.65 COP 27.6K

437.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$0.97 COP 3,490

93.81%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$18.1K COP 65.3M

111.08%

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

$39.6K £29.4K

$26.3K COP 95.0M

50.60%

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

$325 £241

$81.3 COP 293.5K

299.74%

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

$20.22 £14.98

$9.63 COP 34.8K

109.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.71 £31.65

$24.36 COP 88.0K

75.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.36

$26.02 COP 93.9K

109.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 £4.64

$3.89 COP 14.0K

60.93%

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

$2,513 £1,862

$304 COP 1.1M

726.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K £21.2K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

383.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.38 £25.48

$58.7 COP 211.8K

-41.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 £29.22

$32.48 COP 117.2K

21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £94.7

$102 COP 367.3K

25.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 £50.8

$108 COP 390.4K

-36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 £891

$474 COP 1.7M

153.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 £757

$371 COP 1.3M

175.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 £1,499

$848 COP 3.1M

138.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 £1,243

$716 COP 2.6M

134.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,482 £2,580

$542 COP 2.0M

542.90%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,202 in Arun versus $474 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 543% 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 $111 in Arun versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $190 – 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 120% 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 $3,353 per month in Arun and $1,522 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 $111 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 $2,235 in Arun and $1,014 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 $1,014, than in Arun at $2,235. 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 $1,014 versus $2,235 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.