Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Cali $1,060
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Cali $1,626
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Cali $2,192
Medellin $3,190

Living in Cali costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 21% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-19.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$3.11 COP 9,866

-51.13%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$1.83 COP 5,800

-32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$1.38 COP 4,360

-37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$3.05 COP 9,672

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-30.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$1.45 COP 4,600

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$2.36 COP 7,496

-16.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.68 COP 5,328

-11.90%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.86 COP 9,077

1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-38.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-28.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-27.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-15.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.50 COP 4,742

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$2.17 COP 6,891

-17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$2.31 COP 7,310

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.93 COP 6,113

-25.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.64 COP 5,196

-5.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.13 COP 3,571

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$1.25 COP 3,954

-24.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.70 COP 5,384

-15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$2.37 COP 7,525

7.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$1.21 COP 3,827

-11.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-60.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$1.32 COP 4,179

-40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.30 COP 4,114

3.08%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-0.14%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$172 COP 545.6K

-36.31%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-36.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

33.76%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$137 COP 432.9K

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-37.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$616 COP 2.0M

-53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-17.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-51.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$652 COP 2.1M

-10.26%

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 Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 114% $327

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 23.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 2.7% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 40.3% $62

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 26.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 26.7% $12

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 164% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Cali and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 11% 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: $37.00 in Cali vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $295 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

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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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

Cali vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $655 in Cali versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 153% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.