Cost of Living Comparison Between Atibaia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Atibaia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Atibaia versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,307 in Atibaia versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,869 in Atibaia versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Atibaia costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atibaia 44% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 R$28.24

$6.16 COP 20.0K

-10.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.54 R$141

$32.60 COP 106.0K

-15.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 R$29.00

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-22.75%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.08

$1.72 COP 5,592

14.53%

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

$1.20 R$6.13

$1.05 COP 3,416

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.23

$0.77 COP 2,511

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.28

$1.69 COP 5,480

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.50

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.40

$1.05 COP 3,418

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.24

$1.30 COP 4,230

23.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.90

$1.40 COP 4,538

-3.57%

Eggs

$2.83 R$14.47

$2.16 COP 7,037

31.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 R$50.9

$4.39 COP 14.3K

126.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 R$21.36

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-28.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 R$45.35

$8.64 COP 28.1K

2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R$8.61

$2.28 COP 7,415

-25.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.11 COP 3,599

9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.59

$1.53 COP 4,976

-28.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.16

$1.35 COP 4,405

3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.58

$1.13 COP 3,669

-3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.10

$1.13 COP 3,687

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.81

$0.85 COP 2,749

10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.81

$0.91 COP 2,971

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 R$10.75

$2.34 COP 7,619

-10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 R$38.20

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-39.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 R$7.18

$1.20 COP 3,904

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.43

$2.49 COP 8,094

-18.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.50

$0.84 COP 2,724

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.35 R$196

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-5.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.54

$1.42 COP 4,617

-9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R$5.45

$1.92 COP 6,227

-44.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 R$33.13

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-15.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.55

$0.99 COP 3,219

10.10%

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

$16.2K R$83.0K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

-9.91%

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

$27.5K R$140.7K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

3.39%

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

$73.5 R$376

$80.8 COP 262.7K

-9.06%

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

$11.82 R$60.4

$9.95 COP 32.3K

18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.70 R$106

$24.18 COP 78.6K

-14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.65 R$111

$25.08 COP 81.5K

-13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 R$90.9

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-7.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 R$39.89

$3.98 COP 13.0K

96.23%

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

$287 R$1,466

$305 COP 992.2K

-6.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,033 R$41.1K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

32.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.47 R$237

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-20.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 R$177

$32.20 COP 104.7K

7.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 R$349

$101 COP 327.5K

-32.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.37 R$211

$108 COP 350.3K

-61.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 R$1,397

$477 COP 1.5M

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 R$927

$376 COP 1.2M

-51.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R$4,690

$845 COP 2.7M

8.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 R$3,160

$730 COP 2.4M

-15.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 R$9,789

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-40.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 R$8,562

$1,372 COP 4.5M

22.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 R$2,506

$617 COP 2.0M

-20.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

13.43

-27.03%

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

Last update for Atibaia: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $273 in Atibaia and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% 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: $28.00 in Atibaia vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $193 per month, with Atibaia 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

Atibaia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atibaia and Medellin differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($745 vs $1,031 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $273 in Atibaia versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Atibaia versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia 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 Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.