Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Asmara versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Asmara versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,884 in Asmara versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Asmara is roughly 43% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 10% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ERN 188

$6.16 COP 20.1K

102.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ERN 443

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ERN 88.0

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-20.16%

Cappuccino

$0.80 ERN 12.03

$1.72 COP 5,599

-53.49%

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

$1.88 ERN 28.22

$1.05 COP 3,420

79.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ERN 20.18

$0.77 COP 2,515

74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ERN 15.41

$1.69 COP 5,487

-39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ERN 29.89

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ERN 24.95

$1.05 COP 3,423

58.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ERN 7.23

$1.30 COP 4,236

-63.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ERN 29.60

$1.40 COP 4,544

40.71%

Eggs

$4.47 ERN 67.2

$2.16 COP 7,046

106.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.06 ERN 46.03

$4.39 COP 14.3K

-30.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.59 ERN 400

$5.88 COP 19.1K

352.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ERN 151

$8.64 COP 28.1K

16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$12.00 ERN 180

$2.28 COP 7,425

426.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.83

$1.11 COP 3,603

12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.19

$1.53 COP 4,982

26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.81

$1.35 COP 4,410

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ERN 26.22

$1.13 COP 3,674

53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ERN 16.46

$1.13 COP 3,692

-2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ERN 9.91

$0.85 COP 2,753

-22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 ERN 32.98

$0.91 COP 2,975

140.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ERN 30.28

$2.34 COP 7,629

-14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.69 ERN 341

$12.37 COP 40.3K

83.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.26

$1.20 COP 3,909

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 ERN 18.09

$2.49 COP 8,104

-51.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

$0.84 COP 2,727

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.78 ERN 117

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-80.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ERN 10.39

$1.42 COP 4,623

-51.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ERN 9.75

$1.92 COP 6,235

-66.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ERN 122

$7.66 COP 24.9K

5.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ERN 32.93

$0.99 COP 3,223

121.21%

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

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

263.28%

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

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

164.73%

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

$27.41 ERN 412

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-66.08%

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

$67.3 ERN 1,012

$9.95 COP 32.4K

576.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$196 ERN 2,953

$24.18 COP 78.7K

712.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.92 ERN 405

$25.08 COP 81.6K

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 ERN 116

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-59.84%

Cinema Ticket

$1.07 ERN 16.06

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-73.12%

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

$24.81 ERN 373

$305 COP 993.4K

-91.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-72.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 ERN 1,255

$58.1 COP 189.2K

43.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 ERN 1,139

$32.20 COP 104.8K

135.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,956

$101 COP 327.9K

95.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 ERN 1,414

$108 COP 350.8K

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ERN 7,156

$477 COP 1.6M

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 ERN 5,980

$376 COP 1.2M

5.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ERN 11.0K

$845 COP 2.7M

-13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ERN 9,729

$730 COP 2.4M

-11.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-30.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

62.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 ERN 15.0K

$617 COP 2.0M

61.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-10.65%

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

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Asmara and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asmara pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Asmara vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Asmara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asmara and Medellin differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Asmara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Asmara versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 421% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $24.81 in Asmara versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,472 in Asmara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Asmara. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Asmara 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 43% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.