Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alberton Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alberton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,254 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,044 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,833 in Alberton.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than in Alberton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Alberton is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$9.41 R 153

-14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.58 R 611

27.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.02 R 81.6

97.01%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.37 R 38.49

32.07%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.12 R 18.14

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.84 R 13.67

79.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.49 R 40.46

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.45 R 39.82

134.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.18 R 19.24

22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.11 R 18.00

124.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.87 R 30.41

-5.35%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.29 R 37.28

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.31 R 135

21.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.17 R 84.1

95.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$6.26 R 102

128.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.81 R 29.50

128.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.69 R 27.48

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.74 R 28.27

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.67 R 27.21

34.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.15 R 18.63

77.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.22 R 19.76

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.25 R 20.25

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.92 R 15.01

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.18 R 51.7

22.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$3.04 R 49.38

360.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.34 R 21.82

29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.31 R 21.26

119.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$3.04 R 49.40

-59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$125 R 2,040

-35.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.29 R 4.79

351.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.82 R 13.38

167.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$14.94 R 243

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.36 R 22.15

0.74%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$31.4K R 510.0K

-11.27%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$33.5K R 544.5K

6.80%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$154 R 2,510

14.85%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$37.99 R 618

-63.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$37.00 R 601

-19.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$40.64 R 661

10.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$15.58 R 253

9.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.97 R 97.1

11.39%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$153 R 2,494

429.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$1,858 R 30.2K

394.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$53.9 R 876

65.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$32.78 R 533

79.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$95.9 R 1,559

44.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$85.3 R 1,386

19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$450 R 7,307

136.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$366 R 5,946

81.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$941 R 15.3K

100.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,001 R 16.3K

2.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$741 R 12.0K

464.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$623 R 10.1K

168.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,167 R 35.2K

-68.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.34

-3.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Alberton: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $450 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 220% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $181 per month, with Alberton cheaper across the board.

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 Alberton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 220% lower in Alberton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $450 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,254 in Alberton versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.