Cost of Living Comparison Between Martin and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Martin and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Martin versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,099 in Martin versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Martin versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Martin is roughly 40% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Martin is 8% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 €8.04

$5.92 COP 21.5K

59.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.31 €39.55

$32.75 COP 119.1K

41.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 €7.82

$7.20 COP 26.2K

27.22%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.45

$1.70 COP 6,186

68.82%

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

$1.78 €1.52

$1.10 COP 3,996

61.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.72 COP 2,625

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.67 COP 6,067

29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.98

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.06 COP 3,837

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.25 COP 4,531

10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.39 COP 5,060

46.76%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.14

$2.26 COP 8,229

62.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €13.51

$4.33 COP 15.8K

265.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 €6.59

$5.84 COP 21.2K

32.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 €11.27

$8.83 COP 32.1K

49.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 €1.10

$2.24 COP 8,159

-42.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.08 COP 3,911

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$1.53 COP 5,563

54.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$1.37 COP 4,987

56.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.13 COP 4,109

25.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.12 COP 4,067

61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.45

$0.85 COP 3,080

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.64

$0.91 COP 3,305

-17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 €5.00

$2.33 COP 8,477

151.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.77 €4.08

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.90

$1.19 COP 4,342

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.37 COP 8,617

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.79 COP 2,859

82.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.49 €25.19

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-28.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.44 COP 5,223

-2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.91 COP 6,952

-33.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.84 €19.50

$8.02 COP 29.2K

184.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.55

$0.94 COP 3,410

93.62%

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

$23.1K €19.8K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

29.12%

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

$25.8K €22.0K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-3.74%

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

$309 €264

$84.0 COP 305.4K

268.32%

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

$27.86 €23.79

$9.60 COP 34.9K

190.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.57 €10.74

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-47.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.53 €32.05

$25.88 COP 94.1K

45.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.07

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-7.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 €8.43

$3.92 COP 14.2K

152.04%

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

$351 €300

$306 COP 1.1M

14.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,319 €6,250

$5,919 COP 21.5M

23.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €59.5

$57.9 COP 210.6K

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.81 €11.79

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-56.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 €65.2

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.1

$107 COP 389.7K

1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 €441

$487 COP 1.8M

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 €413

$368 COP 1.3M

31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 €679

$826 COP 3.0M

-3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €598

$716 COP 2.6M

-2.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 €2,091

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-16.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,813 €1,548

$1,407 COP 5.1M

28.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,353

$546 COP 2.0M

190.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

13.43

-67.31%

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

Last update for Martin: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Martin and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Martin pays 191% 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: $46.00 in Martin vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 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

Martin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Martin pays 191% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $516 in Martin versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Martin versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 39% less than in Martin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,447 in Martin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Martin. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Martin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Martin 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 40% less than in Martin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.