Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,273 in Forbes versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,310 in Forbes versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,347 in Forbes versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Forbes is roughly 124% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 69% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$23.02

$5.95 COP 20.8K

173.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$112

$33.33 COP 116.3K

138.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$13.91

$7.23 COP 25.2K

36.10%

Cappuccino

$3.39 A$4.79

$1.63 COP 5,687

107.98%

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

$2.53 A$3.58

$1.09 COP 3,821

132.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.01

$0.73 COP 2,548

191.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.37

$1.74 COP 6,065

281.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 A$10.30

$3.23 COP 11.3K

125.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.09

$1.05 COP 3,662

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.43

$1.29 COP 4,515

88.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 A$2.86

$1.32 COP 4,617

53.79%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.03

$2.27 COP 7,927

88.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 A$11.97

$4.35 COP 15.2K

94.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.73

$5.88 COP 20.5K

41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 A$19.47

$8.61 COP 30.0K

60.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.70

$2.25 COP 7,844

48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.99

$1.07 COP 3,733

163.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.15

$1.52 COP 5,322

93.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.64

$1.42 COP 4,964

180.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.38

$1.17 COP 4,084

104.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.17 COP 4,077

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.96

$0.89 COP 3,096

135.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.16

$0.90 COP 3,146

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.20

$2.25 COP 7,837

1259.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 A$20.93

$11.04 COP 38.5K

34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.54

$1.14 COP 3,977

306.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.68

$2.38 COP 8,301

128.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.71

$0.84 COP 2,916

211.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.8

$41.95 COP 146.4K

53.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.18

$1.41 COP 4,912

159.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.90 COP 6,634

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 A$47.99

$7.75 COP 27.0K

338.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.60

$1.01 COP 3,509

11.88%

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

$29.3K A$41.4K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

66.64%

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

$22.9K A$32.3K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-13.71%

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

$185 A$262

$83.7 COP 292.1K

121.61%

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

$27.92 A$39.45

$9.45 COP 33.0K

195.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.5

$24.11 COP 84.1K

121.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.93 A$67.7

$25.31 COP 88.3K

89.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 A$22.47

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-16.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 A$18.50

$4.10 COP 14.3K

219.27%

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

$1,648 A$2,328

$312 COP 1.1M

428.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

104.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 A$94.4

$58.0 COP 202.6K

15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.78 A$70.3

$32.56 COP 113.6K

52.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$138

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$109 COP 378.8K

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,811

$482 COP 1.7M

165.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 A$1,530

$379 COP 1.3M

185.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 A$2,841

$837 COP 2.9M

140.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 A$2,416

$723 COP 2.5M

136.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,284 A$8,879

$2,840 COP 9.9M

121.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,056 A$7,144

$1,223 COP 4.3M

313.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Forbes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Forbes and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Forbes vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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

Forbes vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Medellin differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,273 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,410 in Forbes and $1,525 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: $1,282 in Forbes versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,273 per month in Forbes versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 53% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,273 in Forbes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Forbes. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Safety-wise, Forbes and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.