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: $943 in Marabella versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Marabella versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,339 in Marabella versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Marabella costs roughly 9% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marabella 30% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.24 TTD 69.5

$5.92 COP 21.5K

72.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 TTD 605

$32.75 COP 119.1K

172.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TTD 51.2

$7.20 COP 26.2K

4.72%

Cappuccino

$3.78 TTD 25.69

$1.70 COP 6,186

122.35%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.47

$1.10 COP 3,996

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.18

$0.72 COP 2,625

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.34

$1.67 COP 6,067

8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 TTD 20.61

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 TTD 18.60

$1.06 COP 3,837

158.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 TTD 18.59

$1.25 COP 4,531

119.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 TTD 17.40

$1.39 COP 5,060

84.17%

Eggs

$4.91 TTD 33.34

$2.26 COP 8,229

117.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 TTD 52.9

$4.33 COP 15.8K

79.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 TTD 70.5

$5.84 COP 21.2K

77.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 TTD 98.9

$8.83 COP 32.1K

65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 TTD 38.61

$2.24 COP 8,159

154.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 TTD 17.13

$1.08 COP 3,911

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 TTD 30.08

$1.53 COP 5,563

189.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 TTD 32.63

$1.37 COP 4,987

251.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.79

$1.13 COP 4,109

27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 TTD 11.71

$1.12 COP 4,067

54.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 TTD 13.38

$0.85 COP 3,080

131.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.98

$0.91 COP 3,305

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 TTD 40.97

$2.33 COP 8,477

158.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 TTD 134

$11.13 COP 40.5K

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 TTD 14.38

$1.19 COP 4,342

78.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 TTD 18.73

$2.37 COP 8,617

16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.18

$1.44 COP 5,223

-26.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.41

$1.91 COP 6,952

-35.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.59 TTD 99.1

$8.02 COP 29.2K

81.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.74

$0.94 COP 3,410

21.28%

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

$34.1K TTD 231.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

90.10%

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

$37.8K TTD 256.8K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

41.19%

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

$79.1 TTD 537

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-5.76%

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

$47.09 TTD 320

$9.60 COP 34.9K

390.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 TTD 413

$24.16 COP 87.9K

151.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 TTD 67.6

$3.92 COP 14.2K

154.08%

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

$328 TTD 2,228

$306 COP 1.1M

7.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,263 TTD 49.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

22.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 TTD 402

$57.9 COP 210.6K

2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.90 TTD 257

$31.82 COP 115.7K

19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 TTD 1,003

$99.9 COP 363.3K

47.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 859

$107 COP 389.7K

18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

13.43

-59.94%

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

Last update for Marabella: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in Marabella vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 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

Marabella vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marabella and Medellin differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($943 vs $1,034 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,414 in Marabella and $1,550 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 99% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $943 per month in Marabella versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $943 in Marabella versus $1,034 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 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.