Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
Learn more

Atenas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atenas and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Atenas and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
Medellin $3,186

Atenas is about 6% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Atenas and Medellin sit above the global median – Atenas by 14%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,361

$8.09 COP 25.6K

19.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$47.05 COP 148.9K

19.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,321

$9.50 COP 30.1K

24.11%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,727

$3.01 COP 9,540

27.24%

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

$2.77 ₡1,249

$1.80 COP 5,693

53.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$1.41 COP 4,469

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.18 COP 10.0K

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,005

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$1.51 COP 4,778

58.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,384

$2.38 COP 7,524

28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,016

$1.77 COP 5,606

27.12%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,571

$2.89 COP 9,146

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,847

$10.19 COP 32.2K

5.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,310

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,701

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$3.97 COP 12.6K

13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.55 COP 4,911

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.18 COP 6,907

21.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$2.18 COP 6,910

12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,719

$1.96 COP 6,210

94.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$1.59 COP 5,029

63.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.15 COP 3,625

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,405

$1.24 COP 3,934

150.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,726

$3.96 COP 12.5K

52.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,497

$13.68 COP 43.3K

37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$1.66 COP 5,252

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.26 COP 7,145

18.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡998

$1.17 COP 3,696

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$1.27 COP 4,013

96.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$2.05 COP 6,480

-23.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,917

$8.55 COP 27.1K

1.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.35 COP 4,262

11.11%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-0.94%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

21.31%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$170 COP 536.8K

-44.62%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$13.55 COP 42.9K

163.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$28.07 COP 88.8K

86.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$43.70 COP 138.3K

9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

$17.19 COP 54.4K

-35.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,407

$6.91 COP 21.9K

9.26%

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

$975 ₡440.3K

$797 COP 2.5M

22.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$9,112 COP 28.8M

-26.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$135 COP 427.1K

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$97.9 COP 309.7K

33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-44.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.2K

$642 COP 2.0M

-14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.8K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-24.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.7K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

22.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

102.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 16.7% $92

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 17.1% $61

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 16.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 16.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 1.9% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 388% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Atenas versus $1,208 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 in Atenas are about 2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

23:27 11:27 PM

1 h ahead of Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Atenas Medellin 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Atenas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,548 in Atenas and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.