Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acharnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acharnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,354 in Acharnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,064 in Acharnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,774 in Acharnes.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than in Acharnes, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Acharnes is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.60 €10.11

-30.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$64.1 €55.9

-25.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.17 €7.99

7.85%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.95 €3.44

-20.76%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.40 €2.10

-20.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.60 €0.52

151.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$4.61 €4.02

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$5.34 €4.65

7.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.60 €1.39

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.44 €1.26

72.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.48 €2.16

-28.63%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$5.04 €4.40

-41.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.61 €10.12

-13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.21 €8.90

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.52 €12.66

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.30 €2.00

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.31 €2.02

-30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.77 €1.54

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.06 €1.80

9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.18 €1.03

72.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.36 €1.19

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.88 €0.77

32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.88 €0.77

48.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.62 €4.02

-15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.01 €6.11

99.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.73 €1.51

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.45 €3.01

-16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.42 €1.24

-14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$42.48 €37.03

89.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.58 €4.00

-71.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.14 €0.99

92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$14.58 €12.71

-40.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.22 €1.93

-38.29%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.0K €25.2K

-3.85%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$24.2K €21.1K

47.58%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$142 €124

24.92%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$14.75 €12.85

-5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$28.78 €25.09

3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$52.3 €45.57

-14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$28.09 €24.49

-39.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.20 €8.02

-27.72%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$503 €438

61.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,689 €4,088

95.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$23.27 €20.28

284.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.85 €32.12

60.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$70.0 €61.0

97.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$112 €97.6

-8.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$494 €430

115.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$409 €357

62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$763 €666

147.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$623 €543

64.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,376 €2,071

76.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,599 €2,266

-35.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$999 €871

-32.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.36

150.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Acharnes: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $494 in Acharnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acharnes pays 47% 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 $64.0 in Acharnes. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $283, with Acharnes cheaper for home cooking.

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 Acharnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acharnes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Acharnes. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $494 in Acharnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Acharnes – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,354 in Acharnes versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Acharnes but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Acharnes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Acharnes 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 Acharnes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.