Cost of Living Comparison Between Marabella and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Marabella and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Marabella versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Marabella versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,875 in Marabella versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Marabella costs roughly 54% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marabella is 44% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 TTD 70.7

$8.02 COP 25.0K

31.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 TTD 398

$47.87 COP 149.4K

23.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 TTD 53.5

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-19.62%

Cappuccino

$3.83 TTD 25.75

$3.13 COP 9,767

22.36%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.04

$1.91 COP 5,954

-45.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 TTD 5.06

$1.51 COP 4,712

-50.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 TTD 12.06

$3.12 COP 9,747

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 TTD 17.63

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 TTD 13.20

$1.44 COP 4,509

36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 TTD 15.05

$2.49 COP 7,759

-10.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 TTD 18.80

$1.77 COP 5,535

57.63%

Eggs

$3.85 TTD 25.89

$2.96 COP 9,235

30.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 TTD 45.90

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-32.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 TTD 66.8

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 TTD 61.1

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-36.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 TTD 37.74

$4.14 COP 12.9K

35.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 TTD 16.57

$1.61 COP 5,019

52.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 TTD 25.40

$2.25 COP 7,007

68.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 TTD 29.25

$2.25 COP 7,028

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$2.04 COP 6,375

-65.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 TTD 4.74

$1.54 COP 4,790

-54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 TTD 9.65

$1.17 COP 3,651

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 TTD 7.71

$1.31 COP 4,077

-12.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 TTD 37.13

$3.90 COP 12.2K

41.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.55 TTD 118

$14.01 COP 43.7K

25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 TTD 9.96

$1.74 COP 5,439

-14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 TTD 20.63

$2.87 COP 8,956

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 TTD 6.21

$1.31 COP 4,084

-29.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 TTD 6.11

$2.19 COP 6,825

-58.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.83 TTD 99.8

$8.71 COP 27.2K

70.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.89

$1.37 COP 4,260

-14.60%

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

$37.0K TTD 249.3K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

33.10%

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

$41.3K TTD 277.8K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

15.44%

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

$43.95 TTD 296

$177 COP 553.2K

-75.21%

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

$42.94 TTD 289

$13.88 COP 43.3K

209.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.80 TTD 301

$29.72 COP 92.8K

50.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.88 TTD 59.8

$6.65 COP 20.7K

33.53%

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

$405 TTD 2,722

$813 COP 2.5M

-50.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K TTD 72.8K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 TTD 369

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-38.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.50 TTD 246

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 TTD 584

$138 COP 431.2K

-37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 TTD 584

$102 COP 318.7K

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

10.94

-47.44%

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

Last update for Marabella: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $59.0 in Marabella vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

Marabella vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marabella and Medellin differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($772 vs $1,681 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,159 in Marabella 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.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $772 per month in Marabella versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $772 in Marabella versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marabella but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marabella 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 Marabella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.