Cost of Living Comparison Between Cesis and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cesis and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Cesis versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Cesis versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,625 in Cesis versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Cesis costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cesis is 16% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.72

$8.03 COP 25.3K

112.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.6

$48.26 COP 152.0K

43.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 €7.83

$9.77 COP 30.8K

-7.16%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.41

$2.91 COP 9,167

35.74%

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

$1.66 €1.44

$1.94 COP 6,122

-14.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.52 COP 4,792

-19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.08

$3.09 COP 9,740

90.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.89

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.36 COP 4,296

-9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.39 COP 7,519

-38.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.70 COP 5,356

48.82%

Eggs

$2.84 €2.45

$2.87 COP 9,038

-1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 €9.20

$9.94 COP 31.3K

7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 €7.94

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-14.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 €12.51

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-44.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.57 COP 4,950

21.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.13 COP 6,695

19.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.21 COP 6,972

36.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.81

$2.05 COP 6,447

-54.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.50 COP 4,737

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.19 COP 3,747

49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.16 COP 3,647

-12.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.07

$3.90 COP 12.3K

80.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €6.93

$14.44 COP 45.5K

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.58 COP 4,987

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.83 COP 8,905

-27.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.08

$1.28 COP 4,045

178.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.89

$2.09 COP 6,589

-50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.32 €15.81

$8.62 COP 27.1K

112.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.30 COP 4,088

54.62%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

2.79%

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

$32.6K €28.1K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-8.22%

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

$381 €328

$176 COP 554.5K

116.13%

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

$21.56 €18.60

$13.37 COP 42.1K

61.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.78 €17.06

$29.89 COP 94.1K

-33.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €9.75

$6.20 COP 19.5K

82.26%

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

$647 €558

$793 COP 2.5M

-18.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €15.8K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

103.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €63.0

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-14.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 €44.84

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €77.9

$136 COP 429.3K

-33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €122

$103 COP 324.7K

36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 €249

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-75.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,892 €1,632

$665 COP 2.1M

184.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

10.94

-78.06%

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

Last update for Cesis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cesis pays 184% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Cesis vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $303, with Cesis 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

Cesis vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 184% higher in Cesis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $647 in Cesis versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Cesis versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis 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.

Safety-wise, Cesis 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 Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.