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: $1,392 in Buenos Aires versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,230 in Buenos Aires versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in Buenos Aires versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 37% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 3% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.18 ARS 20.8K

$6.14 COP 22.1K

147.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 ARS 82.2K

$33.05 COP 119.0K

81.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 ARS 16.2K

$7.32 COP 26.4K

61.34%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ARS 5,533

$1.66 COP 5,973

142.77%

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

$2.10 ARS 2,885

$1.10 COP 3,978

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,102

$0.78 COP 2,816

96.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ARS 5,031

$1.71 COP 6,174

114.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ARS 5,507

$3.17 COP 11.4K

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,193

$1.11 COP 4,003

44.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 ARS 3,351

$1.31 COP 4,709

86.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,035

$1.38 COP 4,969

60.14%

Eggs

$3.20 ARS 4,392

$2.22 COP 7,992

44.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ARS 16.5K

$4.34 COP 15.6K

176.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 ARS 11.1K

$5.80 COP 20.9K

39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ARS 12.8K

$8.98 COP 32.3K

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ARS 3,375

$2.26 COP 8,146

8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 2,808

$1.11 COP 4,014

84.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ARS 1,805

$1.46 COP 5,273

-9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ARS 3,454

$1.37 COP 4,918

83.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 1,964

$1.11 COP 4,000

28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ARS 2,005

$1.16 COP 4,190

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 ARS 2,538

$0.89 COP 3,204

107.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ARS 1,962

$0.87 COP 3,117

64.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ARS 4,518

$2.35 COP 8,476

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 ARS 9,042

$10.86 COP 39.1K

-39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,032

$1.20 COP 4,321

84.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,328

$2.48 COP 8,927

27.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ARS 980

$0.79 COP 2,836

-10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.08 ARS 22.1K

$40.77 COP 146.8K

-60.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ARS 2,140

$1.42 COP 5,125

9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,255

$1.91 COP 6,885

-52.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,139

$7.65 COP 27.6K

-22.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,544

$0.97 COP 3,482

16.49%

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

$25.4K ARS 34.9M

$18.1K COP 65.2M

40.52%

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

$29.1K ARS 39.9M

$26.3K COP 94.8M

10.54%

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

$113 ARS 155.1K

$81.3 COP 292.9K

38.95%

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

$21.38 ARS 29.3K

$9.63 COP 34.7K

122.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 ARS 39.9K

$24.36 COP 87.8K

19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.47 ARS 56.9K

$26.02 COP 93.7K

59.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ARS 15.9K

$18.92 COP 68.1K

-38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 ARS 12.5K

$3.89 COP 14.0K

133.68%

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

$326 ARS 447.1K

$304 COP 1.1M

7.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,178 ARS 7.1M

$5,902 COP 21.3M

-12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 149.6K

$58.7 COP 211.4K

85.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 ARS 119.4K

$32.48 COP 117.0K

167.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ARS 171.7K

$102 COP 366.5K

22.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ARS 177.2K

$108 COP 389.6K

19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ARS 906.3K

$474 COP 1.7M

39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ARS 592.6K

$371 COP 1.3M

16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.6M

$848 COP 3.1M

39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ARS 1.1M

$716 COP 2.6M

12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,675 ARS 3.7M

$2,871 COP 10.3M

-6.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,017 ARS 2.8M

$1,375 COP 5.0M

46.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$793 ARS 1.1M

$542 COP 2.0M

46.34%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Buenos Aires and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 46% 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 in Buenos Aires vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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

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

Buenos Aires and Medellin differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,392 vs $1,014 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buenos Aires pays 46% 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: $660 in Buenos Aires versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Buenos Aires versus $304 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $1,392 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 37% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.