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: $1,483 in Asmara versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,175 in Asmara versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,866 in Asmara versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Asmara is roughly 46% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 11% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.52 ERN 188

$5.99 COP 21.3K

109.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.40 ERN 457

$32.86 COP 116.9K

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 ERN 92.3

$7.09 COP 25.2K

-13.40%

Cappuccino

$0.74 ERN 11.10

$1.71 COP 6,093

-56.73%

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

$1.88 ERN 28.26

$1.10 COP 3,910

70.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ERN 20.45

$0.78 COP 2,771

74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ERN 15.32

$1.68 COP 5,976

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ERN 30.67

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-33.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ERN 23.95

$1.09 COP 3,892

45.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ERN 7.36

$1.26 COP 4,492

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.13

$1.38 COP 4,905

40.58%

Eggs

$4.44 ERN 66.8

$2.19 COP 7,799

102.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 ERN 45.80

$4.40 COP 15.7K

-30.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.68 ERN 401

$5.63 COP 20.0K

373.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ERN 152

$8.89 COP 31.6K

13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$12.27 ERN 184

$2.34 COP 8,319

424.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.79

$1.06 COP 3,764

17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ERN 28.63

$1.50 COP 5,355

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ERN 17.79

$1.38 COP 4,906

-14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ERN 26.68

$1.15 COP 4,097

54.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ERN 15.86

$1.16 COP 4,141

-8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ERN 9.78

$0.89 COP 3,170

-26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ERN 32.83

$0.84 COP 2,986

159.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 ERN 29.55

$2.28 COP 8,116

-13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ERN 180

$10.64 COP 37.9K

12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ERN 15.19

$1.20 COP 4,268

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 ERN 17.87

$2.47 COP 8,793

-51.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.11

$0.86 COP 3,045

-83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.04 ERN 121

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-80.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ERN 10.23

$1.47 COP 5,245

-53.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ERN 9.23

$1.96 COP 6,984

-68.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 ERN 124

$7.74 COP 27.5K

6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ERN 32.83

$0.95 COP 3,397

129.47%

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

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

262.82%

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

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

$26.5K COP 94.2M

161.15%

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

$27.01 ERN 406

$82.3 COP 292.7K

-67.16%

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

$67.8 ERN 1,019

$9.50 COP 33.8K

613.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,018

$24.23 COP 86.2K

728.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.53 ERN 414

$25.89 COP 92.1K

6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 ERN 115

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-59.58%

Cinema Ticket

$1.13 ERN 17.00

$3.93 COP 14.0K

-71.25%

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

$25.33 ERN 381

$309 COP 1.1M

-91.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-71.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 ERN 1,217

$58.7 COP 208.7K

38.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.2 ERN 1,115

$32.35 COP 115.1K

129.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,962

$103 COP 365.1K

92.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 ERN 1,425

$108 COP 385.8K

-12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ERN 7,017

$476 COP 1.7M

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ERN 6,083

$379 COP 1.3M

6.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ERN 11.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

-12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ERN 9,908

$724 COP 2.6M

-8.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

104.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Asmara and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Asmara vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $369 vs $188, 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,483 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Asmara 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: $467 in Asmara versus $476 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 415% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $25.33 in Asmara versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,483 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 46% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.