Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abaza Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abaza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $981 in Abaza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,535 in Abaza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,088 in Abaza.

Living in Medellin is roughly 75% more expensive than in Abaza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Abaza is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$9.32 ₽800

-13.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$35.32 ₽3,031

36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.86 ₽503

66.72%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.55 ₽219

14.12%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.08 ₽92.7

79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.52 ₽44.33

192.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.76 ₽151

75.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.90 ₽249

97.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.16 ₽99.7

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.66 ₽56.7

262.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.35 ₽116

25.93%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.47 ₽126

95.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$10.70 ₽918

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.99 ₽428

116.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.86 ₽846

49.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.63 ₽139

150.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.72 ₽148

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.84 ₽158

15.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.82 ₽242

-21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.82 ₽70.4

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.65 ₽55.6

130.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.27 ₽109

-6.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.66 ₽56.6

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.84 ₽244

37.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.11 ₽610

103.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.01 ₽86.8

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.00 ₽172

41.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.50 ₽43.01

134.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$21.70 ₽1,862

258.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.19 ₽188

-41.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.34 ₽29.48

514.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$5.28 ₽453

63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$0.78 ₽66.8

66.67%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$29.7K ₽2.5M

-6.87%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$29.6K ₽2.5M

20.15%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$112 ₽9,602

57.37%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$6.23 ₽534

114.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$8.43 ₽723

254.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$34.56 ₽2,966

29.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.21 ₽447

19.00%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$302 ₽25.9K

162.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,829 ₽586.1K

32.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$60.0 ₽5,148

42.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$45.01 ₽3,863

29.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$108 ₽9,284

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$99.6 ₽8,545

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$428 ₽36.7K

147.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$309 ₽26.5K

119.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$777 ₽66.7K

158.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$531 ₽45.6K

120.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,113 ₽181.3K

94.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,439 ₽123.5K

18.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,155 ₽99.1K

-42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.33

-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Abaza: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $428 in Abaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abaza pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Abaza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $196 per month, with Abaza 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 Abaza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abaza is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Abaza. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $428 in Abaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Abaza – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $981 in Abaza versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Abaza but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Abaza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Abaza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.