Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenaventura: $1,308 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenaventura and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenaventura and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,308 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Buenaventura $1,308
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,012 per month in Buenaventura vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,012
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,716 per month in Buenaventura vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,716
Medellin $3,199

Buenaventura is about 19% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Buenaventura sits 3% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 COP 24.1K

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.62 COP 135.1K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-9.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 COP 29.8K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

1.84%

Cappuccino

$2.59 COP 8,225

$3.05 COP 9,676

-15.08%

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

$1.38 COP 4,370

$1.80 COP 5,707

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 COP 2,835

$1.38 COP 4,382

-35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 COP 9,959

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 COP 11.8K

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-32.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,538

$1.50 COP 4,760

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 COP 7,642

$2.37 COP 7,508

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,169

$1.70 COP 5,377

-4.12%

Eggs

$2.95 COP 9,353

$2.96 COP 9,379

-0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 COP 24.9K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 COP 30.5K

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 COP 38.9K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-13.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,665

$1.53 COP 4,839

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,047

$2.22 COP 7,052

-13.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 COP 5,696

$2.27 COP 7,194

-20.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$1.99 COP 6,311

-25.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,694

$1.67 COP 5,285

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,758

$1.18 COP 3,742

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,811

$1.24 COP 3,919

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 COP 12.5K

$3.87 COP 12.3K

2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

$1.66 COP 5,256

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 7,555

$2.40 COP 7,615

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,450

$1.24 COP 3,944

-12.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 COP 5,079

$1.28 COP 4,044

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 COP 6,457

$2.15 COP 6,803

-5.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 COP 28.6K

$8.37 COP 26.5K

7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,080

$1.35 COP 4,288

-4.44%

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

$24.7K COP 78.5M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-28.82%

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

$35.4K COP 112.2M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

2.00%

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

$126 COP 399.9K

$167 COP 528.4K

-24.31%

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

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-3.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 COP 92.5K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 COP 120.9K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 COP 20.6K

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-6.74%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$790 COP 2.5M

-20.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 COP 23.8M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-16.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 COP 269.2K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-3.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 COP 172.5K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-6.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.5K

$139 COP 440.7K

-0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 328.1K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.1M

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$620 COP 2.0M

-23.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 COP 3.2M

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 COP 2.8M

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-13.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 COP 6.2M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-50.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,628 COP 5.2M

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-4.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

10.94

5.85%

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

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenaventura

$475 36.3%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 30.5% $145

Groceries & Markets

Buenaventura

$273 20.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Buenaventura

$172 13.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 0.5% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenaventura

$168 12.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 24.3% $41

Eating Out

Buenaventura

$153 11.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 12% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Buenaventura

$51 3.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 15.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 490% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Buenaventura versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Buenaventura versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $298 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

Same time as Buenaventura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,607

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Buenaventura vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,308 in Buenaventura, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,962 per month in Buenaventura and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenaventura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Buenaventura and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenaventura, where all-in costs run around $1,308, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Buenaventura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,308 in Buenaventura to $1,625 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Buenaventura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.