Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,147 in Centurion versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Centurion versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,497 in Centurion versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Centurion is roughly 14% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Centurion 14% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 R 177

$5.91 COP 18.9K

79.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.90 R 565

$32.96 COP 105.2K

2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 R 78.7

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-36.47%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.83

$1.65 COP 5,276

23.03%

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

$0.98 R 16.38

$1.10 COP 3,514

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 13.37

$0.78 COP 2,491

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.63

$1.72 COP 5,484

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 41.41

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-21.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 20.01

$1.10 COP 3,521

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.83

$1.26 COP 4,015

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.16

$1.38 COP 4,407

18.12%

Eggs

$2.41 R 40.09

$2.18 COP 6,950

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R 140

$4.49 COP 14.3K

87.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 R 79.2

$5.79 COP 18.5K

-17.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R 111

$8.97 COP 28.6K

-25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.31

$2.32 COP 7,405

-29.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.69

$1.06 COP 3,397

39.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.83

$1.52 COP 4,838

5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.34

$1.36 COP 4,327

16.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 R 22.41

$1.13 COP 3,599

19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.08

$1.17 COP 3,738

23.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.44

$0.90 COP 2,876

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.59

$0.90 COP 2,861

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R 50.8

$2.23 COP 7,128

36.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 R 100.0

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R 24.17

$1.19 COP 3,793

21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.84

$2.48 COP 7,920

-30.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 R 37.63

$0.85 COP 2,723

165.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.2 R 1,487

$41.62 COP 132.8K

114.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.43

$1.42 COP 4,518

-21.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.73

$1.95 COP 6,223

-45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 R 67.3

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-48.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R 21.06

$0.99 COP 3,160

27.27%

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

$22.4K R 373.0K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

27.21%

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

$24.3K R 405.1K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-9.25%

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

$117 R 1,948

$83.0 COP 264.9K

40.85%

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

$37.60 R 626

$9.70 COP 30.9K

287.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.39 R 689

$23.52 COP 75.0K

75.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 R 711

$25.26 COP 80.6K

68.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.02 R 17.05

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-94.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R 129

$3.95 COP 12.6K

95.70%

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

$209 R 3,479

$316 COP 1.0M

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,315 R 71.9K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-27.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 R 843

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 R 547

$31.82 COP 101.5K

3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 R 1,464

$102 COP 324.4K

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 R 1,497

$107 COP 342.8K

-16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 R 5,281

$475 COP 1.5M

-33.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R 5,519

$374 COP 1.2M

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 R 8,927

$849 COP 2.7M

-36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 R 13.7K

$719 COP 2.3M

14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$513 R 8,544

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-84.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 R 9,466

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-60.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,072 R 34.5K

$624 COP 2.0M

231.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

13.43

-12.96%

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

Last update for Centurion: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $317 in Centurion and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 232% 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: $34.00 in Centurion vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $193, with Centurion cheaper for home cooking.

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

Centurion vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 232% higher in Centurion, 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: $317 in Centurion versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 114% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $209 in Centurion versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,147 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Centurion. 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 $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion 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 14% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.