Cost of Living Comparison Between Athienou and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Athienou and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,719 in Athienou versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,724 in Athienou versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,729 in Athienou versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Athienou is roughly 66% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 28% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.09

$5.92 COP 21.4K

197.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €48.89

$32.75 COP 118.2K

74.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 €7.24

$7.20 COP 26.0K

17.50%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.22

$1.70 COP 6,140

121.18%

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

$1.57 €1.34

$1.10 COP 3,966

42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$0.72 COP 2,605

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.89

$1.67 COP 6,022

102.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 €3.67

$3.10 COP 11.2K

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.06 COP 3,809

63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.25 COP 4,497

42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.39 COP 5,022

68.35%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.22

$2.26 COP 8,168

66.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €12.91

$4.33 COP 15.6K

248.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 €7.45

$5.84 COP 21.1K

48.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 €11.49

$8.83 COP 31.9K

52.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.24 COP 8,099

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.08 COP 3,882

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.53 COP 5,522

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$1.37 COP 4,950

90.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.13 COP 4,078

20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.12 COP 4,036

0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 €0.55

$0.85 COP 3,057

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.91 COP 3,281

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 €5.08

$2.33 COP 8,414

154.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 €7.17

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.19 COP 4,309

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.37 COP 8,553

-0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.92

$0.79 COP 2,838

183.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.6 €44.14

$41.13 COP 148.5K

25.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 €6.46

$1.44 COP 5,184

424.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.91 COP 6,901

2.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.42 €18.34

$8.02 COP 28.9K

167.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.94 COP 3,385

67.02%

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

$26.3K €22.5K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

46.49%

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

$32.9K €28.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

22.65%

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

$191 €163

$84.0 COP 303.1K

127.00%

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

$22.77 €19.49

$9.60 COP 34.7K

137.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 €29.55

$24.16 COP 87.2K

42.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 €60.8

$25.88 COP 93.4K

174.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.30 €25.08

$19.04 COP 68.7K

53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.89

$3.92 COP 14.1K

194.64%

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

$435 €372

$306 COP 1.1M

42.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,855 €6,724

$5,919 COP 21.4M

32.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €64.1

$57.9 COP 209.1K

29.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 €27.66

$31.82 COP 114.9K

1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 €78.6

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.6

$107 COP 386.8K

0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 €649

$487 COP 1.8M

55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 €559

$368 COP 1.3M

77.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,300

$826 COP 3.0M

83.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,108

$716 COP 2.6M

80.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 €3,222

$2,925 COP 10.6M

28.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 €2,163

$1,407 COP 5.1M

79.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,795 €1,537

$546 COP 2.0M

229.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

13.43

-72.15%

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

Last update for Athienou: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Athienou and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 229% 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: $57.0 in Athienou vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Athienou vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athienou and Medellin differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,719 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Athienou pays 229% more on average, 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: $758 in Athienou versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,719 per month in Athienou versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 25% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,719 in Athienou, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Athienou. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.