Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abadan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abadan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,229 in Abadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,283 in Abadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $4,337 in Abadan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 25% less than in Abadan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Abadan 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$31.62 TMT 106

-74.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$84.8 TMT 284

-43.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$13.00 TMT 43.56

-23.92%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$6.93 TMT 23.23

-54.83%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.53 TMT 5.13

24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.87 TMT 2.93

73.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$5.62 TMT 18.82

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$13.61 TMT 45.60

-57.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$4.49 TMT 15.04

-67.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.01 TMT 6.74

23.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$5.79 TMT 19.41

-69.43%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$5.89 TMT 19.74

-49.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$37.63 TMT 126

-73.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$20.03 TMT 67.1

-49.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$23.49 TMT 78.7

-39.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.18 TMT 17.36

-20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$8.24 TMT 27.62

-80.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$7.56 TMT 25.32

-70.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.75 TMT 12.57

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.23 TMT 7.47

-8.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.41 TMT 4.72

9.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.69 TMT 9.01

-56.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.12 TMT 3.76

16.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$25.90 TMT 86.8

-84.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$41.06 TMT 138

-65.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$5.29 TMT 17.72

-67.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.88 TMT 9.65

-0.35%

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)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.87 TMT 9.62

-54.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.88 TMT 2.93

148.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.49 TMT 28.43

2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.42 TMT 1.40

226.19%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$44.7K TMT 149.7K

-37.69%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$57.7K TMT 193.1K

-37.95%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$579 TMT 1,939

-69.37%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$56.9 TMT 191

-75.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$101 TMT 338

-70.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.61 TMT 28.84

-22.76%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$22.94 TMT 76.9

3443.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$24.3K TMT 81.5K

-62.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$55.4 TMT 186

61.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$117 TMT 390

-49.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$368 TMT 1,233

-62.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$191 TMT 641

-46.61%

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 %)

10.94

9.5

15.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Abadan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $85.0 in Abadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $668 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

Medellin vs Abadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $3,344 in Abadan 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.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $22.94 in Abadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Abadan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,229 in Abadan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Abadan. 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 Abadan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Abadan 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 33% less than in Abadan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.