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: $547 in Kish versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $859 in Kish versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,170 in Kish versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Kish costs roughly 67% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kish is 60% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 $5.56

$8.02 COP 25.3K

-30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.77 $15.77

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-67.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 $4.45

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-55.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 $0.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$1.27 $1.27

$3.13 COP 9,873

-59.42%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$1.91 COP 6,019

-73.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 COP 4,763

-32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.44 COP 4,558

-53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 $0.47

$2.49 COP 7,843

-81.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.77 COP 5,595

10.17%

Eggs

$1.26 $1.26

$2.96 COP 9,336

-57.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-60.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-65.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 $9.12

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-36.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-75.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.61 COP 5,073

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.25 COP 7,083

-64.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.25 COP 7,104

-74.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$2.04 COP 6,444

-70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.54 COP 4,842

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.17 COP 3,691

-52.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.31 COP 4,121

-80.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.62 $0.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.90 COP 12.3K

-49.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 $0.18

$1.22 COP 3,834

-85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.42 $8.42

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-89.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.31 COP 4,129

-63.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 $0.32

$2.19 COP 6,899

-85.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$8.71 COP 27.5K

-76.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$1.37 COP 4,306

-94.16%

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

$47.1K $47.1K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

69.20%

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

$40.7K $40.7K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

13.89%

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

$13.94 $13.94

$177 COP 559.3K

-92.14%

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

$1.49 $1.49

$13.88 COP 43.8K

-89.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.72 $3.72

$29.72 COP 93.8K

-87.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.39 $17.39

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-61.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.84 $12.84

$17.12 COP 54.0K

-25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 $1.93

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-70.98%

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

$114 $114

$813 COP 2.6M

-86.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,402 $1,402

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-84.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.53 $21.53

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-75.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.76 $27.76

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-52.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 $94.6

$138 COP 435.9K

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 $73.1

$102 COP 322.1K

-28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 $285

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-73.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 $203

$663 COP 2.1M

-69.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 $661

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 $338

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-67.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,285 $1,285

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-69.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$549 $549

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-67.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 $412

$678 COP 2.1M

-39.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.21

10.94

112.16%

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

Last update for Kish: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Kish and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 65% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $110 vs $305 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 207% in total monthly costs ($547 vs $1,681 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Medellin. 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: $285 in Kish versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $547 in Kish versus $1,681 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 207% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.