Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,278 per month in Denver vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,284 per month in Denver vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,289 per month in Denver vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Denver costs about 127% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Denver sits 71% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 A$23.39

$5.91 COP 18.9K

175.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$112

$32.96 COP 105.2K

136.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 A$13.92

$7.43 COP 23.7K

30.42%

Cappuccino

$3.45 A$4.95

$1.65 COP 5,276

109.09%

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

$2.50 A$3.58

$1.10 COP 3,514

127.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.06

$0.78 COP 2,491

173.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 A$9.54

$1.72 COP 5,484

286.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 A$10.40

$3.18 COP 10.1K

127.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.10 COP 3,521

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.46

$1.26 COP 4,015

91.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.80

$1.38 COP 4,407

41.30%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.12

$2.18 COP 6,950

95.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$12.26

$4.49 COP 14.3K

90.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.75

$5.79 COP 18.5K

41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 A$19.57

$8.97 COP 28.6K

51.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$2.32 COP 7,405

36.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.98

$1.06 COP 3,397

161.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.32

$1.52 COP 4,838

98.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.82

$1.36 COP 4,327

197.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.46

$1.13 COP 3,599

113.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.17 COP 3,738

85.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.10

$0.90 COP 2,876

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 A$2.17

$0.90 COP 2,861

67.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.92 A$44.41

$2.23 COP 7,128

1286.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 A$17.88

$12.12 COP 38.7K

2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.43

$1.19 COP 3,793

275.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.78

$2.48 COP 7,920

118.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.71

$0.85 COP 2,723

203.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 A$93.5

$41.62 COP 132.8K

56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 A$5.10

$1.42 COP 4,518

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.30

$1.95 COP 6,223

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.63 A$48.31

$7.89 COP 25.2K

326.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.70

$0.99 COP 3,160

20.20%

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

$29.0K A$41.6K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

64.71%

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

$22.3K A$32.1K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-16.64%

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

$180 A$259

$83.0 COP 264.9K

117.06%

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

$26.97 A$38.73

$9.70 COP 30.9K

178.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$74.2

$23.52 COP 75.0K

119.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.21 A$70.7

$25.26 COP 80.6K

94.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.47 A$22.22

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-19.01%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.51

$3.95 COP 12.6K

226.33%

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

$1,601 A$2,300

$316 COP 1.0M

406.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.1K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

99.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$99.2

$60.0 COP 191.4K

15.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$73.2

$31.82 COP 101.5K

60.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 A$140

$102 COP 324.4K

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$153

$107 COP 342.8K

-0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 A$1,802

$475 COP 1.5M

164.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 A$1,510

$374 COP 1.2M

181.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 A$2,892

$849 COP 2.7M

137.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 A$2,421

$719 COP 2.3M

134.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,921

$3,265 COP 10.4M

90.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,245 A$7,534

$1,441 COP 4.6M

264.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

13.43

-52.79%

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

Last update for Denver: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,254 in Denver versus $475 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Denver versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Denver vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,278 in Denver, $1,003 in Medellin – roughly 127% apart. Denver costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,417 per month in Denver and $1,504 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,601 per month in Denver and $316 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Denver at $2,278. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Denver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,003 in Medellin to $2,278 in Denver. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Denver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.