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: $1,908 in Fajardo versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,155 in Fajardo versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,401 in Fajardo versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 85% 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

$10.12 $10.12

$5.92 COP 21.5K

70.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 $81.7

$32.75 COP 119.1K

149.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 $9.37

$7.20 COP 26.2K

30.14%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$1.70 COP 6,186

108.24%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 COP 3,996

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.72 COP 2,625

98.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.67 COP 6,067

82.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.10 COP 11.3K

46.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.06 COP 3,837

127.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.25 COP 4,531

144.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.39 COP 5,060

58.27%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.26 COP 8,229

161.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.33 COP 15.8K

15.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$5.84 COP 21.2K

41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$8.83 COP 32.1K

46.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.24 COP 8,159

162.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.08 COP 3,911

147.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.53 COP 5,563

161.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.37 COP 4,987

189.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.13 COP 4,109

261.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 COP 4,067

160.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.85 COP 3,080

262.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.91 COP 3,305

118.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$2.33 COP 8,477

397.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.19 COP 4,342

107.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.37 COP 8,617

35.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.91 COP 6,952

-19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.02 COP 29.2K

84.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.94 COP 3,410

-3.19%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

100.67%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

0.04%

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

$350 $350

$84.0 COP 305.4K

317.34%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$9.60 COP 34.9K

716.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$24.16 COP 87.9K

186.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.4 $98.4

$25.88 COP 94.1K

280.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$3.92 COP 14.2K

205.61%

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

$467 $467

$306 COP 1.1M

52.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

77.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.47 $46.47

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-19.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 $56.3

$31.82 COP 115.7K

76.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$107 COP 389.7K

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 $736

$487 COP 1.8M

51.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 $605

$368 COP 1.3M

64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$826 COP 3.0M

95.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$716 COP 2.6M

122.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in Fajardo and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Fajardo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 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 85% 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 $2,862 in Fajardo and $1,550 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: $736 in Fajardo versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,908 per month in Fajardo versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,908 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 $1,034 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 85% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.