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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $979 in Abaza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,497 in Abaza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,015 in Abaza.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than Abaza, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Abaza 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$9.67 ₽705

-38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$38.33 ₽2,798

-14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.78 ₽422

22.66%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.37 ₽173

-27.85%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.07 ₽78.2

2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.52 ₽37.60

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.36 ₽99.2

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.57 ₽187

19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.59 ₽42.94

84.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.65 ₽47.19

93.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.42 ₽104

-2.82%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.80 ₽131

21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.92 ₽797

-59.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.80 ₽350

17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$9.03 ₽659

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.74 ₽127

34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.81 ₽132

-41.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.98 ₽145

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.67 ₽195

-48.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.85 ₽61.7

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.68 ₽49.54

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.41 ₽103

-36.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.72 ₽52.4

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.88 ₽210

-20.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.26 ₽603

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.00 ₽73.2

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.93 ₽141

27.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.49 ₽36.09

75.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.94 ₽142

-24.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.35 ₽25.70

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.28 ₽458

23.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.77 ₽56.5

23.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$34.2K ₽2.5M

-46.92%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$36.2K ₽2.6M

-26.90%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$110 ₽8,034

-25.27%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.83 ₽426

62.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$7.93 ₽578

205.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$36.16 ₽2,639

-28.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.01 ₽366

-21.56%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$328 ₽23.9K

-5.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,889 ₽502.8K

-13.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$69.3 ₽5,059

-15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$43.60 ₽3,182

-25.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$113 ₽8,260

-9.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$106 ₽7,732

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$438 ₽32.0K

8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$300 ₽21.9K

26.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$769 ₽56.2K

8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$514 ₽37.5K

40.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,555 ₽186.5K

9.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,719 ₽125.5K

-29.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,375 ₽100.4K

-62.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

15.33

-12.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Abaza: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $438 in Abaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abaza pays 169% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Abaza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $193 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 Abaza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abaza is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Abaza earns 169% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $438 in Abaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $328 in Abaza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abaza – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Abaza versus $1,013 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 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.