Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Afgoye

For one person, living is cheaper in Afgoye: $70.2 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Afgoye

🇸🇴 Somalia

$70.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Afgoye

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Afgoye actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $70.2 in Afgoye.

Medellin $1,625
Afgoye $70.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $137 in Afgoye.

Medellin $2,412
Afgoye $137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $205 in Afgoye.

Medellin $3,199
Afgoye $205

Living in Medellin is roughly 2215% more expensive than in Afgoye, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Afgoye is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.02 SOS 578

713.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.48 SOS 1,976

165.52%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$0.51 SOS 291

498.04%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.48 SOS 275

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.21 SOS 119

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.97 SOS 2,825

174.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

15.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$9.84 SOS 5,589

792.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$17.78 SOS 10.1K

456.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$58.9 SOS 33.5K

1645.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$162 SOS 91.9K

1062.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$89.6 SOS 50.9K

1025.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$203 SOS 115.1K

227.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Afgoye: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Afgoye

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Afgoye

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Afgoye

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Afgoye

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Afgoye

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Afgoye

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Afgoye

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $58.9 in Afgoye. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 227% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇴 Afgoye

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

65,461

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 639 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Afgoye 13,370 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Afgoye

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Afgoye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Afgoye differ by about 2215% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $70.2 including rent). Afgoye is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 227% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $58.9 in Afgoye. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $70.2 in Afgoye versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Afgoye but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Afgoye the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Afgoye gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2215% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.