Cost of Living Comparison Between Isabela and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Isabela and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Isabela versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Isabela versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,676 in Isabela versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Isabela costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isabela is 7% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 $18.38

$8.02 COP 25.4K

129.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 $85.3

$47.87 COP 152.0K

78.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$9.89 COP 31.4K

-7.48%

Cappuccino

$3.72 $3.72

$3.13 COP 9,937

18.85%

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

$1.84 $1.84

$1.91 COP 6,058

-3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.51 COP 4,794

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.12 COP 9,917

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$5.75 COP 18.3K

-15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.44 COP 4,587

29.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.49 COP 7,894

17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.77 COP 5,631

-32.20%

Eggs

$2.94 $2.94

$2.96 COP 9,396

-0.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$10.07 COP 32.0K

10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$10.12 COP 32.1K

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 $13.52

$14.30 COP 45.4K

-5.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.14 COP 13.1K

6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.61 COP 5,106

57.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.25 COP 7,129

115.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.25 COP 7,150

118.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.04 COP 6,486

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.54 COP 4,873

155.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.17 COP 3,715

193.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.31 COP 4,148

20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$3.90 COP 12.4K

204.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 $15.49

$14.01 COP 44.5K

10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.74 COP 5,534

76.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.87 COP 9,112

36.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.31 COP 4,155

89.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.19 COP 6,944

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.07 $42.07

$8.71 COP 27.7K

383.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.37 COP 4,334

-39.42%

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

$40.4K $40.4K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

45.25%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-21.39%

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

$319 $319

$177 COP 562.9K

80.19%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$13.88 COP 44.1K

396.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$29.72 COP 94.4K

132.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$6.65 COP 21.1K

60.00%

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

$829 $829

$813 COP 2.6M

1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$9,187 COP 29.2M

34.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 $56.4

$89.5 COP 284.1K

-36.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 $60.9

$59.0 COP 187.2K

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$138 COP 438.8K

-20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$102 COP 324.2K

13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

10.94

-40.13%

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

Last update for Isabela: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Isabela vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $305 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

Isabela vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,901 in Isabela 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.

Childcare runs $829 in Isabela 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 Isabela – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,267 in Isabela versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isabela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,267 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isabela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Isabela 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 Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.