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: $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,128 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,972 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 24% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atotonilco el Alto is 6% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 MX$202

$8.02 COP 25.3K

46.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 MX$1,132

$47.87 COP 151.0K

37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 MX$161

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$64.7

$3.13 COP 9,873

20.45%

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

$1.79 MX$30.71

$1.91 COP 6,019

-6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.64

$1.51 COP 4,763

-24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.12 COP 9,853

18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$98.5

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$1.44 COP 4,558

36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 MX$49.43

$2.49 COP 7,843

15.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.57

$1.77 COP 5,595

16.95%

Eggs

$2.99 MX$51.4

$2.96 COP 9,336

1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 MX$160

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 MX$164

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-5.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 MX$246

$14.30 COP 45.1K

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$63.5

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.16

$1.61 COP 5,073

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.72

$2.25 COP 7,083

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.33

$2.25 COP 7,104

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.32

$2.04 COP 6,444

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.05

$1.54 COP 4,842

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 MX$28.24

$1.17 COP 3,691

41.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.33

$1.31 COP 4,121

-5.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$82.4

$3.90 COP 12.3K

23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 MX$324

$14.01 COP 44.2K

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 MX$41.90

$1.74 COP 5,498

40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MX$75.5

$2.87 COP 9,053

53.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.24

$1.22 COP 3,834

-36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 MX$60.3

$1.31 COP 4,129

168.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 MX$47.80

$2.19 COP 6,899

26.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.50 MX$197

$8.71 COP 27.5K

32.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.37 COP 4,306

19.71%

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

$22.6K MX$388.4K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-18.70%

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

$25.3K MX$434.6K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-29.23%

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

$65.6 MX$1,126

$177 COP 559.3K

-63.01%

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

$28.73 MX$493

$13.88 COP 43.8K

106.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.12 MX$465

$29.72 COP 93.8K

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 MX$682

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 MX$421

$17.12 COP 54.0K

43.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 MX$135

$6.65 COP 21.0K

18.05%

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

$279 MX$4,789

$813 COP 2.6M

-65.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,373 MX$92.2K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-41.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 MX$970

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-36.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 MX$831

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,814

$138 COP 435.9K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,786

$102 COP 322.1K

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 MX$10.9K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 MX$6,640

$663 COP 2.1M

-41.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 MX$21.2K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-34.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 MX$13.1K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-25.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,714 MX$29.4K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-59.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 MX$21.2K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-26.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

10.94

9.60%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $637 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $305 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

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,926 in Atotonilco el Alto and $2,521 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: $637 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.