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: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 39% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.7K

$5.99 COP 21.5K

151.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 87.4K

$32.86 COP 118.1K

84.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.1K

$7.09 COP 25.5K

67.70%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,777

$1.71 COP 6,155

134.50%

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

$2.09 ARS 3,005

$1.10 COP 3,950

90.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,135

$0.78 COP 2,799

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,161

$1.68 COP 6,037

113.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,873

$3.07 COP 11.0K

32.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,298

$1.09 COP 3,931

46.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,639

$1.26 COP 4,537

100.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,291

$1.38 COP 4,955

65.22%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,785

$2.19 COP 7,878

51.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.5K

$4.40 COP 15.8K

176.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.3K

$5.63 COP 20.2K

39.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.9K

$8.89 COP 32.0K

8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,582

$2.34 COP 8,403

6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,966

$1.06 COP 3,802

94.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,822

$1.50 COP 5,409

-15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,667

$1.38 COP 4,956

84.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,147

$1.15 COP 4,138

29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,114

$1.16 COP 4,183

26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,653

$0.89 COP 3,203

106.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,079

$0.84 COP 3,016

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,716

$2.28 COP 8,198

43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,280

$10.64 COP 38.3K

-45.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,233

$1.20 COP 4,312

86.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,610

$2.47 COP 8,882

29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,036

$0.86 COP 3,076

-16.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.2K

$41.40 COP 148.8K

-61.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,370

$1.47 COP 5,298

12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,306

$1.96 COP 7,055

-53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,544

$7.74 COP 27.8K

-23.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,600

$0.95 COP 3,431

16.84%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.4M

$18.1K COP 65.2M

35.47%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.5M

$26.5K COP 95.2M

8.77%

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

$109 ARS 157.1K

$82.3 COP 295.7K

32.61%

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

$21.60 ARS 31.1K

$9.50 COP 34.2K

127.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.8K

$24.23 COP 87.1K

19.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.7K

$25.89 COP 93.0K

65.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.9K

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-38.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 13.0K

$3.93 COP 14.1K

129.26%

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

$324 ARS 466.7K

$309 COP 1.1M

4.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.5M

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-13.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 156.4K

$58.7 COP 210.8K

85.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 125.0K

$32.35 COP 116.3K

168.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 178.1K

$103 COP 368.8K

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 191.2K

$108 COP 389.7K

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 948.2K

$476 COP 1.7M

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 644.5K

$379 COP 1.4M

18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.7M

$838 COP 3.0M

37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$724 COP 2.6M

12.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.8M

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-5.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

$1,211 COP 4.4M

51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

$512 COP 1.8M

60.14%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 60% 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: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $188 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buenos Aires pays 60% more on average, 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,412 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 39% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.