Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Cento versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Cento versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Monthly costs are close between Cento and Medellin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cento 23% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 €18.38

$8.02 COP 25.4K

163.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 €81.7

$47.87 COP 152.0K

96.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.47

$9.89 COP 31.4K

21.64%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.97

$3.13 COP 9,937

-27.80%

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

$3.37 €2.94

$1.91 COP 6,058

76.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.51 COP 4,794

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 €5.60

$3.12 COP 9,917

106.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.05

$5.75 COP 18.3K

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.44 COP 4,587

-1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.49 COP 7,894

12.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$1.77 COP 5,631

55.37%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.47

$2.96 COP 9,396

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.38 €16.86

$10.07 COP 32.0K

92.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.17

$10.12 COP 32.1K

26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.62

$14.30 COP 45.4K

25.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$4.14 COP 13.1K

-44.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.61 COP 5,106

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.25 COP 7,129

-13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$2.25 COP 7,150

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$2.04 COP 6,486

-23.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.54 COP 4,873

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.17 COP 3,715

45.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.31 COP 4,148

-57.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.09

$3.90 COP 12.4K

79.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.07

$14.01 COP 44.5K

-41.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.74 COP 5,534

-8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.87 COP 9,112

-30.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.22 COP 3,858

40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €43.06

$80.5 COP 255.5K

-38.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.02

$1.31 COP 4,155

252.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.19 COP 6,944

-30.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 €24.97

$8.71 COP 27.7K

229.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.37 COP 4,334

55.47%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

32.74%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-0.26%

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

$225 €195

$177 COP 562.9K

26.66%

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

$11.56 €10.06

$13.88 COP 44.1K

-16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 €24.64

$29.72 COP 94.4K

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.74

$44.88 COP 142.5K

11.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 €21.78

$17.12 COP 54.4K

46.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.03

$6.65 COP 21.1K

55.94%

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

$579 €504

$813 COP 2.6M

-28.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,588 €3,993

$9,187 COP 29.2M

-50.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 €84.1

$89.5 COP 284.1K

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 €37.88

$59.0 COP 187.2K

-26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.5

$138 COP 438.8K

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €135

$102 COP 324.2K

51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 €485

$1,062 COP 3.4M

-47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 €405

$663 COP 2.1M

-29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €959

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €846

$1,027 COP 3.3M

-5.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,717

$4,183 COP 13.3M

-25.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 €1,739

$1,675 COP 5.3M

19.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 €1,577

$678 COP 2.2M

167.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

10.94

-70.57%

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

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Cento and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 167% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94.0 in Cento vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $305 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

Cento vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 167% higher in Cento, 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: $557 in Cento versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Cento versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $94.0 in Cento. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,682 in Cento, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Cento on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.