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: $1,190 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto is roughly 17% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 11% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 MX$167

$5.95 COP 20.8K

63.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.89 MX$805

$33.33 COP 116.3K

40.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$139

$7.23 COP 25.2K

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.56 MX$61.1

$1.63 COP 5,687

118.40%

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

$1.24 MX$21.31

$1.09 COP 3,821

13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$16.99

$0.73 COP 2,548

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$39.74

$1.74 COP 6,065

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.1

$3.23 COP 11.3K

33.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.23

$1.05 COP 3,662

45.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.50

$1.29 COP 4,515

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.27

$1.32 COP 4,617

51.52%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.25

$2.27 COP 7,927

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 MX$146

$4.35 COP 15.2K

96.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.88 COP 20.5K

62.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 MX$222

$8.61 COP 30.0K

50.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 MX$62.9

$2.25 COP 7,844

62.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.27

$1.07 COP 3,733

37.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.03

$1.52 COP 5,322

23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.54

$1.42 COP 4,964

25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.46

$1.17 COP 4,084

51.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.41

$1.17 COP 4,077

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.42

$0.89 COP 3,096

40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.71

$0.90 COP 3,146

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$74.2

$2.25 COP 7,837

92.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.38 MX$298

$11.04 COP 38.5K

57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$33.19

$1.14 COP 3,977

69.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.38 COP 8,301

33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.46

$0.84 COP 2,916

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.1

$1.41 COP 4,912

127.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MX$21.52

$1.90 COP 6,634

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 MX$161

$7.75 COP 27.0K

21.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.63

$1.01 COP 3,509

24.75%

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

$19.5K MX$334.5K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

10.85%

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

$20.9K MX$358.3K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-21.22%

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

$63.4 MX$1,088

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-24.28%

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

$23.61 MX$405

$9.45 COP 33.0K

149.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MX$476

$24.11 COP 84.1K

14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 MX$612

$25.31 COP 88.3K

40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$267

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-18.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.01 MX$103

$4.10 COP 14.3K

46.59%

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

$320 MX$5,496

$312 COP 1.1M

2.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 MX$84.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-17.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 MX$859

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 MX$726

$32.56 COP 113.6K

29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 MX$1,674

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 MX$1,698

$109 COP 378.8K

-8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,816

$482 COP 1.7M

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MX$6,941

$379 COP 1.3M

6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$15.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MX$13.3K

$723 COP 2.5M

7.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,239 MX$38.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,308 MX$22.4K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Atotonilco el Alto and $482 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,786 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,525 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: $514 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $312 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,190 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 17% less than in Atotonilco el Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.