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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $458 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $744 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,029 in Aja, rent included.

Medellin costs about 121% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.63 E£188

65.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$15.93 E£827

106.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.66 E£242

52.15%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.43 E£74.4

19.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.31 E£16.17

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.10 E£4.97

680.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.20 E£62.5

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.05 E£158

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.91 E£47.32

19.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.62 E£32.40

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.65 E£33.56

112.31%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.45 E£75.5

51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.40 E£177

29.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.36 E£226

29.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$8.78 E£456

1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.43 E£74.4

63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.59 E£30.49

79.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.39 E£20.30

284.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.37 E£19.10

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.38 E£19.49

202.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.40 E£20.93

190.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.24 E£12.52

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.18 E£9.22

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.00 E£104

14.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$6.36 E£330

67.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.35 E£70.1

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.86 E£96.7

32.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.20 E£10.52

330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.42 E£21.72

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.29 E£14.86

575.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.02 E£105

283.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.31 E£15.85

206.45%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$35.6K E£1.8M

-49.10%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$33.8K E£1.8M

-21.56%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$11.90 E£618

591.18%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$6.44 E£334

47.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$10.67 E£554

127.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$22.13 E£1,148

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.97 E£154

32.32%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$89.4 E£4,640

246.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,825 E£94.7K

226.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$27.84 E£1,445

110.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$49.14 E£2,551

-34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$107 E£5,544

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$50.2 E£2,604

116.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$191 E£9,930

148.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$101 E£5,264

273.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$308 E£16.0K

172.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$177 E£9,162

310.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$794 E£41.2K

251.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$410 E£21.3K

195.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$313 E£16.2K

63.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $191 in Aja. 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 64% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $124 – 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 121% 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $687 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 $1,013 in Medellin and $458 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Medellin and $89.4 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 $458, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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 $458 versus $1,013 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.