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: $1,166 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,843 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,520 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto is roughly 16% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 12% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 MX$170

$5.91 COP 18.6K

66.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 MX$799

$32.96 COP 103.8K

40.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 MX$141

$7.43 COP 23.4K

9.29%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.6

$1.65 COP 5,207

123.03%

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

$1.26 MX$21.74

$1.10 COP 3,468

14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.32

$0.78 COP 2,458

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.35

$1.72 COP 5,412

42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$3.18 COP 10.0K

35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.88

$1.10 COP 3,474

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.15

$1.26 COP 3,962

111.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.91

$1.38 COP 4,349

46.38%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$41.62

$2.18 COP 6,858

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MX$142

$4.49 COP 14.1K

83.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 MX$171

$5.79 COP 18.2K

70.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 MX$223

$8.97 COP 28.2K

43.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 MX$64.2

$2.32 COP 7,308

59.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.44

$1.06 COP 3,352

44.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.17

$1.52 COP 4,774

26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.87

$1.36 COP 4,270

27.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.86

$1.13 COP 3,552

57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.90

$1.17 COP 3,689

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.90 COP 2,838

45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.21

$0.90 COP 2,823

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MX$72.8

$2.23 COP 7,034

88.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$292

$12.12 COP 38.2K

39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.52

$1.19 COP 3,743

63.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.48 COP 7,815

26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.20

$0.85 COP 2,687

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.1

$1.42 COP 4,459

124.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MX$21.64

$1.95 COP 6,141

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 MX$162

$7.89 COP 24.8K

18.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.80

$0.99 COP 3,118

27.27%

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

$19.8K MX$341.9K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

12.27%

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

$20.1K MX$347.5K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-25.06%

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

$62.1 MX$1,074

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-25.23%

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

$23.55 MX$407

$9.70 COP 30.5K

142.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.87 MX$482

$23.52 COP 74.1K

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.48 MX$614

$25.26 COP 79.5K

40.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 MX$277

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-16.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 MX$103

$3.95 COP 12.4K

51.39%

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

$315 MX$5,445

$316 COP 994.2K

-0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,783 MX$82.8K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-19.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 MX$861

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$749

$31.82 COP 100.2K

36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 MX$1,700

$102 COP 320.1K

-3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 MX$1,673

$107 COP 338.3K

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MX$8,957

$475 COP 1.5M

9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,737

$374 COP 1.2M

4.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.2K

$849 COP 2.7M

10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 MX$13.2K

$719 COP 2.3M

6.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,724 MX$29.8K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-47.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$22.0K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-11.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Atotonilco el Alto and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $193 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,749 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,504 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: $518 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $316 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 $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,166 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 16% less than in Atotonilco el Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.