Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aja Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $456 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $738 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,019 in Aja, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.49 E£178

76.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$15.55 E£794

109.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.52 E£231

62.39%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.50 E£76.7

14.67%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.31 E£16.07

238.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.10 E£4.88

670.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.15 E£59.0

46.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.88 E£147

10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.83 E£42.26

26.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.61 E£31.25

113.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.70 E£35.97

100.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.46 E£74.6

47.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$3.43 E£175

27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.24 E£217

38.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.57 E£437

0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.47 E£75.0

55.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.55 E£28.04

101.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.42 E£21.69

264.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.40 E£20.35

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.37 E£19.10

205.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.41 E£20.68

175.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.22 E£11.16

286.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.19 E£9.81

378.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.94 E£99.3

20.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.30 E£322

96.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.31 E£66.8

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.81 E£92.3

37.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.16 E£8.22

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.41 E£21.11

246.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.29 E£14.78

562.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.93 E£98.6

296.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.30 E£15.56

230.00%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$35.8K E£1.8M

-49.64%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-19.30%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$11.99 E£612

573.98%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$6.54 E£334

52.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$10.65 E£544

127.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$22.66 E£1,157

10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.89 E£148

37.72%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$89.8 E£4,582

240.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,881 E£96.0K

222.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$27.07 E£1,382

114.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$48.11 E£2,456

-33.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$111 E£5,650

-8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$51.3 E£2,620

109.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$187 E£9,550

154.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$98.6 E£5,035

281.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$308 E£15.7K

174.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$180 E£9,187

305.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$839 E£42.9K

283.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$431 E£22.0K

218.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.67

-19.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aja: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $187 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $122 – making Aja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 126% more than Aja, 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $684 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,031 in Medellin and $456 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $305 per month in Medellin and $89.8 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aja, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Aja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aja costs $456 versus $1,031 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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