Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aden Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aden

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,861 in Aden, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,984 in Aden, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $4,106 in Aden, rent included.

Medellin is about 10% cheaper than Aden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Aden sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Aden by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$12.91 YER 3,051

-37.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$36.19 YER 8,549

32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$10.17 YER 2,403

-2.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 YER 860

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 YER 1,049

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.97 YER 938

-21.16%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$3.30 YER 780

-42.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.76 YER 416

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$5.11 YER 1,208

-71.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.39 YER 565

4.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$9.56 YER 2,259

-81.49%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$10.49 YER 2,478

-71.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.50 YER 2,480

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$20.06 YER 4,739

-49.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$56.4 YER 13.3K

-74.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$15.78 YER 3,729

-73.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.46 YER 816

-53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$11.11 YER 2,624

-79.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.19 YER 990

-46.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$4.20 YER 992

-51.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$3.65 YER 862

-57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.04 YER 246

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.45 YER 342

-9.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.44 YER 1,522

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 YER 968

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.94 YER 1,640

-43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.03 YER 244

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$94.6 YER 22.3K

-14.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.46 YER 817

-62.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.27 YER 1,954

5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$3.35 YER 792

-59.10%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$17.2K YER 4.1M

61.61%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$63.0K YER 14.9M

-43.23%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$89.9 YER 21.2K

97.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.92 YER 2,343

39.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$126 YER 29.9K

-76.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$74.5 YER 17.6K

-39.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$25.91 YER 6,121

-33.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.97 YER 1,410

11.39%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$120 YER 28.3K

577.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,881 YER 1.2M

88.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$98.2 YER 23.2K

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$104 YER 24.7K

-43.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$158 YER 37.3K

-12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$189 YER 44.7K

-45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$333 YER 78.7K

218.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$324 YER 76.6K

104.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$781 YER 184.6K

141.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$663 YER 156.6K

54.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,273 YER 300.7K

228.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$860 YER 203.1K

94.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$460 YER 108.6K

47.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Aden: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $333 in Aden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Medellin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $36.00 in Aden. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $663 in Aden – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Aden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aden costs about 11% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,792 in Aden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $36.00 in Aden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,861 in Aden. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Aden at $1,861. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,681 versus $1,861 in Aden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.