🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,607 in Acosta.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,440 in Acosta.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $3,274 in Acosta.
🙂Living in Medellin costs roughly 36% less than in Acosta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Acosta is 20% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.92COP 21.4K
$9.90₡4,500
-40.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.75COP 118.2K
$52.3₡23.8K
-37.34%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.20COP 26.0K
$9.71₡4,414
-25.85%
Cappuccino
$1.70COP 6,140
$3.74₡1,700
-54.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10COP 3,966
$2.05₡932
-46.34%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72COP 2,605
$1.58₡717
-54.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.67COP 6,022
$3.04₡1,383
-45.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10COP 11.2K
$4.63₡2,107
-33.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.06COP 3,809
$2.04₡927
-48.04%
White Bread(500g)
$1.25COP 4,497
$2.85₡1,294
-56.14%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.39COP 5,022
$2.25₡1,024
-38.22%
Eggs
$2.26COP 8,168
$2.91₡1,321
-22.34%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33COP 15.6K
$10.06₡4,576
-56.96%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.84COP 21.1K
$9.35₡4,251
-37.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.83COP 31.9K
$13.49₡6,134
-34.54%
Apples(1kg)
$2.24COP 8,099
$4.55₡2,069
-50.77%
Banana(1kg)
$1.08COP 3,882
$1.46₡664
-26.03%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.53COP 5,522
$4.17₡1,896
-63.31%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.37COP 4,950
$3.29₡1,494
-58.36%
Potato(1kg)
$1.13COP 4,078
$3.31₡1,504
-65.86%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12COP 4,036
$3.08₡1,400
-63.64%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.85COP 3,057
$1.03₡469
-17.48%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91COP 3,281
$2.92₡1,330
-68.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33COP 8,414
$4.91₡2,231
-52.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.13COP 40.2K
$18.30₡8,321
-39.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19COP 4,309
$2.30₡1,047
-48.26%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37COP 8,553
$2.68₡1,217
-11.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.79COP 2,838
$0.96₡436
-17.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.13COP 148.5K
$25.27₡11.5K
62.76%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.44COP 5,184
$1.84₡839
-21.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.91COP 6,901
$1.79₡813
6.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.02COP 28.9K
$7.71₡3,507
4.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94COP 3,385
$1.47₡669
-36.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
$38.3K₡17.4M
-53.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
$33.0K₡15.0M
-18.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$84.0COP 303.1K
$93.0₡42.3K
-9.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.60COP 34.7K
$26.01₡11.8K
-63.09%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.16COP 87.2K
$52.7₡23.9K
-54.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$25.88COP 93.4K
$56.2₡25.6K
-53.97%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04COP 68.7K
$24.09₡11.0K
-20.96%
Cinema Ticket
$3.92COP 14.1K
$10.16₡4,618
-61.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306COP 1.1M
$536₡243.6K
-42.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,919COP 21.4M
$12.7K₡5.8M
-53.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.9COP 209.1K
$63.2₡28.7K
-8.34%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.82COP 114.9K
$51.7₡23.5K
-38.48%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.9COP 360.6K
$127₡57.5K
-21.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107COP 386.8K
$106₡48.3K
0.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$487COP 1.8M
$769₡349.8K
-36.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$368COP 1.3M
$598₡271.8K
-38.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826COP 3.0M
$1,507₡685.2K
-45.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$716COP 2.6M
$980₡445.5K
-26.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,925COP 10.6M
$1,910₡868.3K
53.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,407COP 5.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Acosta
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$546COP 2.0M
$1,472₡669.1K
-62.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.43
10.17
32.06%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Acosta: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $769 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Acosta pays 170% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $360 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Medellin vs Acosta: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and Acosta?
Medellin and Acosta differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,607 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Acosta earns 170% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and Acosta?
Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $769 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $52.0 in Acosta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,607 in Acosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Acosta?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Medellin or Acosta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Medellin and Acosta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Acosta?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Medellin vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado