Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $526 in Kish versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $815 in Kish versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,104 in Kish versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Kish costs roughly 49% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kish 61% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 $4.42

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.79 $15.79

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-51.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 $3.28

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-54.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 $0.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cappuccino

$1.12 $1.12

$1.70 COP 6,186

-34.12%

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

$0.46 $0.46

$1.10 COP 3,996

-58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.72 COP 2,625

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.06 COP 3,837

-48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.25 COP 4,531

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.39 COP 5,060

34.53%

Eggs

$1.14 $1.14

$2.26 COP 8,229

-49.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.33 COP 15.8K

-22.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-45.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$8.83 COP 32.1K

15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.24 COP 8,159

-62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.08 COP 3,911

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.53 COP 5,563

-45.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.37 COP 4,987

-60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.13 COP 4,109

-53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.12 COP 4,067

-59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.85 COP 3,080

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 $0.23

$0.91 COP 3,305

-74.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.12 $1.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.33 COP 8,477

-3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.79 COP 2,859

-74.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.10 $10.10

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-75.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.44 COP 5,223

-76.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.91 COP 6,952

-84.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-75.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.94 COP 3,410

-15.96%

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

$72.7K $72.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

305.72%

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

$54.7K $54.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

104.16%

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

$15.96 $15.96

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-80.99%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-78.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.65 $5.65

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-76.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.09 $16.09

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-37.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.67 $12.67

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-33.46%

Cinema Ticket

$1.53 $1.53

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-60.97%

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

$116 $116

$306 COP 1.1M

-62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,965 $1,965

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-66.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.18 $22.18

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-61.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.01 $25.01

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$99.9 COP 363.3K

12.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 $69.5

$107 COP 389.7K

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 $283

$487 COP 1.8M

-41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 $197

$368 COP 1.3M

-46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$826 COP 3.0M

-22.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 $319

$716 COP 2.6M

-55.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 $1,194

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-59.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$594 $594

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-57.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 $412

$546 COP 2.0M

-24.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.24

13.43

65.60%

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

Last update for Kish: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Kish and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 32% 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: $16.00 in Kish vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $190 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kish vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kish and Medellin differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($526 vs $1,034 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 32% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Kish versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $526 in Kish versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kish 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 Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.