Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Buenos Aires versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Buenos Aires versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Buenos Aires versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 35% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 4% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 ARS 21.9K

$6.16 COP 19.8K

140.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ARS 88.8K

$32.60 COP 104.8K

84.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 ARS 17.7K

$7.34 COP 23.6K

63.08%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ARS 5,896

$1.72 COP 5,527

131.98%

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

$2.17 ARS 3,206

$1.05 COP 3,376

106.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,168

$0.77 COP 2,482

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,438

$1.69 COP 5,417

117.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ARS 5,759

$3.17 COP 10.2K

23.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,371

$1.05 COP 3,379

52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,737

$1.30 COP 4,181

94.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ARS 3,278

$1.40 COP 4,485

58.57%

Eggs

$3.17 ARS 4,681

$2.16 COP 6,956

46.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 ARS 17.8K

$4.39 COP 14.1K

174.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 ARS 11.6K

$5.88 COP 18.9K

33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$8.64 COP 27.8K

7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 ARS 3,623

$2.28 COP 7,330

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,011

$1.11 COP 3,557

83.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,931

$1.53 COP 4,918

-14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ARS 3,743

$1.35 COP 4,353

87.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,149

$1.13 COP 3,627

28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,190

$1.13 COP 3,644

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ARS 2,642

$0.85 COP 2,717

110.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,141

$0.91 COP 2,937

59.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ARS 4,695

$2.34 COP 7,531

35.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ARS 8,619

$12.37 COP 39.7K

-52.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ARS 3,276

$1.20 COP 3,859

85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,533

$2.49 COP 8,000

23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 ARS 988

$0.84 COP 2,692

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.26 ARS 24.0K

$40.57 COP 130.4K

-59.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ARS 2,332

$1.42 COP 4,563

11.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ARS 1,266

$1.92 COP 6,155

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ARS 8,823

$7.66 COP 24.6K

-22.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,652

$0.99 COP 3,181

13.13%

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

$24.8K ARS 36.6M

$18.0K COP 57.9M

37.46%

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

$29.2K ARS 43.2M

$26.6K COP 85.6M

9.79%

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

$109 ARS 160.9K

$80.8 COP 259.7K

34.80%

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

$21.47 ARS 31.7K

$9.95 COP 32.0K

115.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.58 ARS 42.2K

$24.18 COP 77.7K

18.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.73 ARS 61.6K

$25.08 COP 80.6K

66.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 ARS 17.4K

$19.15 COP 61.5K

-38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$3.98 COP 12.8K

132.41%

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

$325 ARS 479.5K

$305 COP 980.7K

6.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,275 ARS 7.8M

$6,059 COP 19.5M

-12.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 165.0K

$58.1 COP 186.8K

92.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.9 ARS 127.0K

$32.20 COP 103.5K

166.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ARS 181.5K

$101 COP 323.7K

21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ARS 190.6K

$108 COP 346.3K

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 ARS 970.3K

$477 COP 1.5M

37.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ARS 661.4K

$376 COP 1.2M

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ARS 1.7M

$845 COP 2.7M

36.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 ARS 1.2M

$730 COP 2.3M

11.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 ARS 3.8M

$3,215 COP 10.3M

-19.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 ARS 2.7M

$1,372 COP 4.4M

34.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 ARS 1.2M

$617 COP 2.0M

36.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

13.43

292.48%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Buenos Aires and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Buenos Aires vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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

Buenos Aires vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Medellin differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,393 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $657 in Buenos Aires versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Buenos Aires versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,393 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires 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 35% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.