Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,480 in Ilion versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Ilion versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Ilion versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ilion is roughly 46% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilion is 10% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 €11.75

$5.95 COP 20.8K

129.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €48.49

$33.33 COP 116.3K

68.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.56

$7.23 COP 25.2K

21.30%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.40

$1.63 COP 5,687

142.33%

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

$1.66 €1.43

$1.09 COP 3,821

52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.73 COP 2,548

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.11

$1.74 COP 6,065

240.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$3.23 COP 11.3K

80.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.05 COP 3,662

81.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.29 COP 4,515

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$1.32 COP 4,617

110.61%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.27

$2.27 COP 7,927

118.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 €11.74

$4.35 COP 15.2K

213.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.37

$5.88 COP 20.5K

85.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 €13.16

$8.61 COP 30.0K

77.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.25 COP 7,844

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.07 COP 3,733

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.52 COP 5,322

3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.42 COP 4,964

83.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.17 COP 4,084

21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.17 COP 4,077

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.89 COP 3,096

2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 COP 3,146

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €4.93

$2.25 COP 7,837

154.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.16

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.14 COP 3,977

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.38 COP 8,301

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.84 COP 2,916

88.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.27 €39.87

$41.95 COP 146.4K

10.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 €3.42

$1.41 COP 4,912

180.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.87

$7.75 COP 27.0K

47.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.01 COP 3,509

109.90%

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

$29.1K €25.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

65.72%

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

$25.6K €22.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-3.39%

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

$218 €188

$83.7 COP 292.1K

160.77%

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

$26.89 €23.17

$9.45 COP 33.0K

184.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €28.21

$24.11 COP 84.1K

35.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 €41.06

$25.31 COP 88.3K

88.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 €22.97

$19.14 COP 66.8K

39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 €8.17

$4.10 COP 14.3K

131.22%

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

$511 €440

$312 COP 1.1M

63.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,404 €5,517

$5,993 COP 20.9M

6.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$58.0 COP 202.6K

57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.55 €28.04

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.5

$99.6 COP 347.7K

2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.2

$109 COP 378.8K

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €422

$482 COP 1.7M

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €337

$379 COP 1.3M

3.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €680

$837 COP 2.9M

-5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 €528

$723 COP 2.5M

-15.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,798 €3,273

$2,840 COP 9.9M

33.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,059 €2,636

$1,223 COP 4.3M

150.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,305 €1,124

$541 COP 1.9M

141.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

13.43

-64.26%

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

Last update for Ilion: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ilion and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 141% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Ilion vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 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

Ilion vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilion and Medellin differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,480 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ilion pays 141% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Ilion versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $511 in Ilion versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,480 in Ilion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ilion. 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, Ilion 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 46% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.