Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,860 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,565 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto is roughly 12% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 14% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 MX$168

$5.92 COP 21.5K

63.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 MX$819

$32.75 COP 119.1K

43.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 MX$137

$7.20 COP 26.2K

9.31%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$61.5

$1.70 COP 6,186

107.65%

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

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.10 COP 3,996

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.72 COP 2,625

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$41.94

$1.67 COP 6,067

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$3.10 COP 11.3K

38.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.74

$1.06 COP 3,837

45.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.15

$1.25 COP 4,531

112.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.18

$1.39 COP 5,060

41.01%

Eggs

$2.31 MX$40.14

$2.26 COP 8,229

2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 MX$140

$4.33 COP 15.8K

85.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 MX$171

$5.84 COP 21.2K

68.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 MX$224

$8.83 COP 32.1K

45.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MX$61.7

$2.24 COP 8,159

58.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.69

$1.08 COP 3,911

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.12

$1.53 COP 5,563

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.69

$1.37 COP 4,987

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.97

$1.13 COP 4,109

52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.95

$1.12 COP 4,067

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.62

$0.85 COP 3,080

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.21

$0.91 COP 3,305

27.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.8

$2.33 COP 8,477

84.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 MX$301

$11.13 COP 40.5K

55.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.68

$1.19 COP 4,342

63.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$57.3

$2.37 COP 8,617

38.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.31

$0.79 COP 2,859

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.44 COP 5,223

118.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.86

$1.91 COP 6,952

-37.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.16 MX$159

$8.02 COP 29.2K

14.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.68

$0.94 COP 3,410

32.98%

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

$19.8K MX$344.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

10.40%

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

$20.2K MX$352.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-24.42%

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

$62.5 MX$1,087

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-25.60%

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

$24.07 MX$419

$9.60 COP 34.9K

150.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MX$489

$24.16 COP 87.9K

16.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 MX$623

$25.88 COP 94.1K

38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.08 MX$280

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MX$106

$3.92 COP 14.2K

54.85%

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

$316 MX$5,503

$306 COP 1.1M

3.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,910 MX$85.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-17.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 MX$896

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 MX$736

$31.82 COP 115.7K

32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 MX$1,709

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 MX$1,664

$107 COP 389.7K

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MX$8,955

$487 COP 1.8M

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,901

$368 COP 1.3M

7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 MX$15.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

10.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 MX$13.1K

$716 COP 2.6M

5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 MX$32.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-36.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 MX$23.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-4.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Atotonilco el Alto and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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

Atotonilco el Alto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,731 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,550 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: $515 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Atotonilco el Alto. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Atotonilco el Alto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Atotonilco el Alto 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 12% less than in Atotonilco el Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.