Cost of Living Comparison Between Florencia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Florencia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Florencia versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,108 in Florencia versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,872 in Florencia versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Florencia costs roughly 20% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Florencia is 2% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.08 COP 25.2K

$8.02 COP 25.0K

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.27 COP 128.8K

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 COP 31.7K

$9.89 COP 30.8K

2.73%

Cappuccino

$2.30 COP 7,163

$3.13 COP 9,767

-26.52%

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

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.91 COP 5,954

-31.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 COP 3,248

$1.51 COP 4,712

-31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 COP 7,366

$3.12 COP 9,747

-24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 COP 11.4K

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-36.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 COP 5,173

$1.44 COP 4,509

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 COP 6,713

$2.49 COP 7,759

-13.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,605

$1.77 COP 5,535

-16.38%

Eggs

$2.61 COP 8,150

$2.96 COP 9,235

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 COP 22.6K

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 COP 34.5K

$10.12 COP 31.6K

9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 COP 41.6K

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 COP 12.7K

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,607

$1.61 COP 5,019

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,011

$2.25 COP 7,007

-14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 COP 6,483

$2.25 COP 7,028

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 COP 4,560

$2.04 COP 6,375

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,132

$1.54 COP 4,790

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 COP 3,871

$1.17 COP 3,651

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,730

$1.31 COP 4,077

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 COP 11.3K

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-7.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 COP 39.7K

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 COP 4,861

$1.74 COP 5,439

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 COP 7,675

$2.87 COP 8,956

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 COP 3,093

$1.22 COP 3,792

-18.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,412

$1.31 COP 4,084

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 COP 6,585

$2.19 COP 6,825

-3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 COP 25.8K

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-5.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 COP 4,367

$1.37 COP 4,260

2.19%

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

$28.7K COP 89.7M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

3.26%

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

$34.4K COP 107.3M

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-3.90%

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

$126 COP 393.4K

$177 COP 553.2K

-28.90%

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

$13.28 COP 41.4K

$13.88 COP 43.3K

-4.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.12 COP 84.6K

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 COP 118.3K

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 COP 19.4K

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-6.62%

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

$698 COP 2.2M

$813 COP 2.5M

-14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,822 COP 18.2M

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-36.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 COP 269.8K

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 COP 156.3K

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 COP 379.3K

$138 COP 431.2K

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 COP 343.1K

$102 COP 318.7K

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 COP 2.4M

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-27.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 COP 1.6M

$663 COP 2.1M

-20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 COP 3.1M

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-47.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.0M

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-5.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,047 COP 6.4M

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-51.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 COP 5.8M

$1,675 COP 5.2M

10.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

10.94

5.85%

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

Last update for Florencia: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Florencia and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Florencia vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $305 per month, with Florencia 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

Florencia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florencia and Medellin differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,344 vs $1,681 including rent). Florencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,017 in Florencia and $2,521 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: $774 in Florencia versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Florencia versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Florencia – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,344 in Florencia versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Florencia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Florencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Florencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.