Cost of Living Comparison Between Fajardo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Fajardo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in Fajardo versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,118 in Fajardo versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,311 in Fajardo versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 14% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fajardo 40% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 $10.12

$7.89 COP 24.2K

28.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$44.53 COP 136.5K

82.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.29 COP 28.5K

1.29%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$2.90 COP 8,874

25.17%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$1.81 COP 5,541

-9.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.55 COP 4,741

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.25 COP 9,962

-9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 $5.05

$5.88 COP 18.0K

-14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.38 COP 4,230

64.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.45 COP 7,517

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.51 COP 4,617

62.25%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$2.78 COP 8,516

110.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$9.05 COP 27.7K

-45.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 $9.44

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-11.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$14.63 COP 44.8K

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.97 COP 12.2K

25.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.38 COP 4,219

92.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.30 COP 7,056

112.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.02 COP 6,185

134.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.09 COP 6,390

76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.63 COP 4,996

146.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.08 COP 3,313

212.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.25 COP 3,843

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$4.03 COP 12.4K

190.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$13.47 COP 41.3K

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.60 COP 4,904

86.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.00 COP 9,189

31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.61 COP 4,920

52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.13 COP 6,533

-27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$8.52 COP 26.1K

383.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.35 COP 4,142

-34.81%

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

$39.4K $39.4K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

39.19%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-22.00%

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

$322 $322

$151 COP 463.8K

112.92%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$13.10 COP 40.1K

479.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 $71.4

$32.30 COP 99.0K

120.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$46.33 COP 141.9K

119.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.68 $10.68

$6.43 COP 19.7K

66.10%

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

$864 $864

$835 COP 2.6M

3.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

44.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$89.3 COP 273.7K

-38.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 $62.1

$55.3 COP 169.5K

12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$137 COP 418.5K

-21.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$109 COP 335.1K

4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 $726

$952 COP 2.9M

-23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 $603

$668 COP 2.0M

-9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$2,020 COP 6.2M

-21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,148 COP 3.5M

37.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

10.43

-47.27%

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

Last update for Fajardo: August 16, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $726 in Fajardo and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Fajardo vs $45.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $297 per month, with Medellin 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

Fajardo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $2,886 in Fajardo and $2,530 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $726 in Fajardo versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,924 per month in Fajardo versus $1,687 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,924 in Fajardo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fajardo. 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 $1,687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.