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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $450 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $718 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $987 in Aja, rent included.

Medellin costs about 281% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Aja is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.0K

$4.21 E£214

90.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.6K

$13.85 E£705

248.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.83 E£246

102.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,085

$1.48 E£75.4

96.62%

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

$1.94 COP 6,067

$0.37 E£18.83

424.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,749

$0.14 E£7.17

985.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,653

$1.29 E£65.6

139.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.83 E£144

102.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,257

$0.98 E£49.99

38.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,452

$0.61 E£30.98

291.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,308

$0.73 E£37.24

132.88%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,957

$1.41 E£71.6

103.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.0K

$3.32 E£169

199.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.06 E£206

165.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.03 E£459

63.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.70 E£86.4

140.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,906

$0.77 E£39.24

103.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,635

$0.51 E£25.84

317.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,910

$0.40 E£20.15

452.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,389

$0.37 E£18.65

454.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,695

$0.32 E£16.52

368.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,714

$0.27 E£13.70

340.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,615

$0.22 E£11.11

427.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.25 E£114

73.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.44 E£379

94.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,943

$1.25 E£63.5

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,826

$2.43 E£124

16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,646

$0.21 E£10.63

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,009

$0.37 E£18.90

245.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,530

$0.23 E£11.91

808.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.70 E£86.7

407.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,052

$0.43 E£21.63

202.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.3M

$34.4K E£1.8M

-19.61%

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

$35.5K COP 110.8M

$28.4K E£1.4M

25.16%

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

$176 COP 549.6K

$17.64 E£897

898.13%

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

$13.37 COP 41.7K

$6.84 E£348

95.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.3K

$13.08 E£665

128.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.7K

$19.88 E£1,011

125.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$2.85 E£145

117.54%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$94.5 E£4,808

739.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,692 E£86.1K

433.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.2K

$17.16 E£873

398.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.5K

$49.94 E£2,540

17.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.4K

$102 E£5,165

34.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 321.8K

$49.06 E£2,495

110.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$129 E£6,539

724.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$79.7 E£4,053

752.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$279 E£14.2K

621.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.6M

$144 E£7,341

709.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$856 E£43.6K

380.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$413 E£21.0K

311.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.21

-32.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Aja: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $129 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $14.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $130 – 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 281% 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $675 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 $1,716 in Medellin and $450 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Medellin and $94.5 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 $450, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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 $450 versus $1,716 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.