Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in Medellin: $1,646 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Medellin $3,199

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 1% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$8.30 COP 26.3K

114.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

38.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

41.99%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$3.05 COP 9,676

26.56%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$1.80 COP 5,707

14.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$1.38 COP 4,382

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$3.24 COP 10.3K

26.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-14.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.50 COP 4,760

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$2.37 COP 7,508

9.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$1.70 COP 5,377

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$2.96 COP 9,379

-7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$9.74 COP 30.9K

3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.53 COP 4,839

36.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$2.22 COP 7,052

-34.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$2.27 COP 7,194

-11.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$1.99 COP 6,311

-39.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.67 COP 5,285

-28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$1.18 COP 3,742

43.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$1.24 COP 3,919

44.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$3.87 COP 12.3K

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-59.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.66 COP 5,256

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$2.40 COP 7,615

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$1.24 COP 3,944

-44.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-64.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$1.28 COP 4,044

27.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$2.15 COP 6,803

-54.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-5.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.35 COP 4,288

5.19%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-32.87%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-7.91%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$167 COP 528.4K

19.68%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

7.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

10.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-3.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$6.97 COP 22.1K

54.95%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$790 COP 2.5M

-41.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-2.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

36.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

62.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$139 COP 440.7K

-16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$620 COP 2.0M

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$1,008 COP 3.2M

18.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-34.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$1,702 COP 5.4M

10.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$663 COP 2.1M

39.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

10.94

423.31%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 20.5% $105

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 4.7% $13

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 37.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 17.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 18% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 17.3% $12

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 156% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 39% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $298, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Medellin 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $2,500 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 1% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.