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: $1,344 in Isabela versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,954 in Isabela versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,565 in Isabela versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Isabela is roughly 32% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isabela is 0% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 $12.11

$5.95 COP 20.8K

103.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$33.33 COP 116.3K

76.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 $8.12

$7.23 COP 25.2K

12.31%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$1.63 COP 5,687

117.18%

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

$1.27 $1.27

$1.09 COP 3,821

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.73 COP 2,548

75.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.74 COP 6,065

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.23 COP 11.3K

26.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.05 COP 3,662

79.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.29 COP 4,515

123.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.32 COP 4,617

-6.06%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$2.27 COP 7,927

33.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$4.35 COP 15.2K

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$5.88 COP 20.5K

9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.61 COP 30.0K

48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.25 COP 7,844

100.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.07 COP 3,733

145.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.52 COP 5,322

152.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.42 COP 4,964

178.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.17 COP 4,084

246.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.17 COP 4,077

147.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.89 COP 3,096

240.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.90 COP 3,146

118.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$2.25 COP 7,837

440.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$11.04 COP 38.5K

39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.14 COP 3,977

123.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.38 COP 8,301

31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.90 COP 6,634

-19.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.75 COP 27.0K

90.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.01 COP 3,509

-8.91%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

100.90%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

0.44%

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

$497 $497

$83.7 COP 292.1K

493.74%

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

$78.6 $78.6

$9.45 COP 33.0K

731.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$24.11 COP 84.1K

200.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$4.10 COP 14.3K

195.61%

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

$470 $470

$312 COP 1.1M

50.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

71.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.58 $46.58

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-19.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 $56.0

$32.56 COP 113.6K

72.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 $90.5

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$109 COP 378.8K

-0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$837 COP 2.9M

114.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

13.43

-57.48%

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

Last update for Isabela: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $59.0 in Isabela vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 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

Isabela vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Isabela. 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 $2,016 in Isabela 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.

Childcare runs $470 in Isabela versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $59.0 in Isabela. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Isabela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Isabela. 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 $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Isabela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.