Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Cricova versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Cricova versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Living in Cricova costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cricova is 21% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 151

$8.01 COP 25.6K

6.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.14 MDL 500

$46.55 COP 149.1K

-39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 MDL 187

$9.43 COP 30.2K

11.56%

Cappuccino

$1.04 MDL 18.48

$2.91 COP 9,326

-64.26%

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

$1.09 MDL 19.34

$1.75 COP 5,614

-37.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MDL 11.82

$1.32 COP 4,241

-49.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 MDL 36.14

$3.13 COP 10.0K

-35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 39.75

$5.55 COP 17.8K

-59.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 MDL 41.59

$1.41 COP 4,519

65.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MDL 8.84

$2.44 COP 7,818

-79.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.55

$1.63 COP 5,218

-32.52%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.27

$2.82 COP 9,038

-55.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MDL 118

$9.69 COP 31.1K

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MDL 82.7

$9.32 COP 29.8K

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 MDL 216

$13.46 COP 43.1K

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.26

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-73.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.43

$1.48 COP 4,744

-45.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$2.12 COP 6,804

-50.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.46

$2.25 COP 7,216

-51.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MDL 12.93

$1.91 COP 6,124

-61.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.62

$1.62 COP 5,188

-35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MDL 18.61

$1.15 COP 3,677

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MDL 19.27

$1.26 COP 4,043

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MDL 60.4

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-10.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.46 MDL 79.2

$13.11 COP 42.0K

-65.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 MDL 45.26

$1.60 COP 5,110

59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MDL 76.5

$2.26 COP 7,226

90.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MDL 9.92

$1.17 COP 3,751

-52.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.18 MDL 394

$75.0 COP 240.3K

-70.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.49

$1.27 COP 4,077

-13.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.22

$2.05 COP 6,566

-88.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 MDL 123

$8.20 COP 26.3K

-15.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MDL 24.41

$1.27 COP 4,067

7.87%

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

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

$26.8K COP 85.8M

11.23%

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

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

$34.4K COP 110.2M

-30.20%

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

$239 MDL 4,239

$162 COP 519.6K

47.15%

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

$7.95 MDL 141

$13.12 COP 42.0K

-39.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.17 MDL 198

$28.09 COP 90.0K

-60.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 MDL 1,007

$44.33 COP 142.0K

27.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.26 MDL 200

$16.33 COP 52.3K

-31.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 MDL 138

$6.09 COP 19.5K

27.91%

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

$112 MDL 1,997

$764 COP 2.4M

-85.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

$8,904 COP 28.5M

-40.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MDL 1,006

$85.0 COP 272.2K

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 MDL 510

$57.5 COP 184.1K

-50.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 MDL 1,477

$132 COP 422.1K

-36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,014

$95.8 COP 306.7K

18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 MDL 16.3K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 MDL 3,957

$604 COP 1.9M

-63.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

$993 COP 3.2M

12.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

$3,921 COP 12.6M

-28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 MDL 10.3K

$626 COP 2.0M

-7.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-36.01%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Cricova and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 8% 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: $28.00 in Cricova vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $288 per month, with Cricova 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

Cricova vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova and Medellin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,054 vs $1,589 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $918 in Cricova versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 238% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Cricova versus $764 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova 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.

Expats usually find Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.