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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,285 per month in Denver vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,284 per month in Denver vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,282 per month in Denver vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Denver costs about 121% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Denver sits 71% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 A$22.58

$5.92 COP 21.4K

172.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$32.75 COP 118.2K

140.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 A$13.93

$7.20 COP 26.0K

38.19%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.73

$1.70 COP 6,140

98.82%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$1.10 COP 3,966

133.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.04

$0.72 COP 2,605

201.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.14

$1.67 COP 6,022

291.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 A$10.03

$3.10 COP 11.2K

130.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.00

$1.06 COP 3,809

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.37

$1.25 COP 4,497

92.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.39 COP 5,022

45.32%

Eggs

$4.41 A$6.17

$2.26 COP 8,168

95.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.62

$4.33 COP 15.6K

91.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.09

$5.84 COP 21.1K

47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 A$18.97

$8.83 COP 31.9K

53.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.52

$2.24 COP 8,099

44.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.02

$1.08 COP 3,882

165.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.17

$1.53 COP 5,522

94.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.79

$1.37 COP 4,950

202.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.37

$1.13 COP 4,078

113.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.12 COP 4,036

94.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.94

$0.85 COP 3,057

147.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.91 COP 3,281

73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.35 A$42.49

$2.33 COP 8,414

1202.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 A$19.63

$11.13 COP 40.2K

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.53

$1.19 COP 4,309

291.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.46

$2.37 COP 8,553

124.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.71

$0.79 COP 2,838

235.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 A$89.9

$41.13 COP 148.5K

56.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.87

$1.44 COP 5,184

141.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.25

$1.91 COP 6,901

-15.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.88 A$47.43

$8.02 COP 28.9K

322.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$0.94 COP 3,385

20.21%

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

$28.8K A$40.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

60.96%

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

$22.7K A$31.8K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-15.12%

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

$184 A$258

$84.0 COP 303.1K

119.45%

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

$26.98 A$37.77

$9.60 COP 34.7K

181.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$24.16 COP 87.2K

116.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 A$68.1

$25.88 COP 93.4K

87.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 A$21.91

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-17.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.79 A$17.90

$3.92 COP 14.1K

226.28%

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

$1,651 A$2,311

$306 COP 1.1M

438.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

102.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 A$96.8

$57.9 COP 209.1K

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$70.7

$31.82 COP 114.9K

58.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 A$139

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$149

$107 COP 386.8K

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,790

$487 COP 1.8M

162.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 A$1,511

$368 COP 1.3M

193.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 A$2,767

$826 COP 3.0M

139.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 A$2,354

$716 COP 2.6M

134.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,384 A$7,538

$2,925 COP 10.6M

84.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,809 A$6,732

$1,407 COP 5.1M

241.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Denver versus $487 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 $79.0 in Denver versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $190 – 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: $2,285 in Denver, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 121% apart. Denver costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,427 per month in Denver and $1,550 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 $1,651 per month in Denver and $306 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 $1,034, than in Denver at $2,285. 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 $1,034 in Medellin to $2,285 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.