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: $1,913 in Fajardo versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,167 in Fajardo versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,422 in Fajardo versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 86% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fajardo is 43% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 $9.81

$6.00 COP 20.6K

63.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$32.84 COP 112.5K

145.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 $9.76

$7.42 COP 25.4K

31.54%

Cappuccino

$3.69 $3.69

$1.65 COP 5,659

123.64%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$1.07 COP 3,663

64.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.76 COP 2,607

88.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.72 COP 5,908

75.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.20 COP 11.0K

39.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.05 COP 3,597

132.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.31 COP 4,479

143.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.34 COP 4,591

68.66%

Eggs

$5.82 $5.82

$2.19 COP 7,521

165.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.41 COP 15.1K

14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$5.69 COP 19.5K

46.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 $12.95

$8.52 COP 29.2K

52.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.34 COP 8,023

153.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.11 COP 3,804

146.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.52 COP 5,210

159.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.37 COP 4,680

199.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.15 COP 3,950

238.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.18 COP 4,043

154.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.84 COP 2,885

270.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.86 COP 2,931

129.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 $11.36

$2.26 COP 7,753

402.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.20 COP 4,109

106.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.48 COP 8,484

28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.92 COP 6,568

-23.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.75 $14.75

$7.77 COP 26.6K

89.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.01 COP 3,464

-11.88%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

104.25%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

2.55%

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

$343 $343

$81.1 COP 277.9K

323.23%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$9.43 COP 32.3K

725.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$23.86 COP 81.8K

189.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.6 $99.6

$25.99 COP 89.1K

283.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$4.09 COP 14.0K

190.22%

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

$470 $470

$315 COP 1.1M

49.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

71.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.16 $46.16

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-22.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$31.97 COP 109.6K

72.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$101 COP 346.9K

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$105 COP 360.3K

1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 $737

$485 COP 1.7M

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 $594

$365 COP 1.3M

62.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$827 COP 2.8M

90.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$730 COP 2.5M

120.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

13.43

-59.05%

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

Last update for Fajardo: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Fajardo and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Fajardo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $190 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 86% 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 $2,869 in Fajardo and $1,542 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: $737 in Fajardo versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,913 per month in Fajardo versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,913 in Fajardo, a $1,500 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 $1,028 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 86% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.