Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $469 in Alexandria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $763 in Alexandria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,058 in Alexandria, rent included.

Medellin costs about 266% more than Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Alexandria is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$4.26 E£217

88.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$16.49 E£839

192.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.76 E£242

105.25%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.29 E£65.7

125.58%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.32 E£16.05

506.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.13 E£6.74

1069.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.34 E£68.3

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.87 E£146

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.91 E£46.42

49.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.71 E£36.17

236.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.61 E£31.19

178.69%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.18 E£59.9

143.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$3.77 E£192

163.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.59 E£233

134.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.48 E£483

55.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.61 E£81.7

154.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.79 E£40.04

98.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.54 E£27.66

294.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.39 E£19.74

466.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.27 E£13.81

659.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.33 E£16.90

354.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.27 E£13.55

340.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.20 E£10.16

480.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.95 E£99.2

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$6.02 E£306

139.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.27 E£64.6

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.77 E£141

2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.20 E£10.21

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$12.93 E£658

501.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.56 E£28.53

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.46 E£23.29

354.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$2.00 E£102

331.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$0.45 E£22.68

188.89%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$32.8K E£1.7M

-15.78%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$28.6K E£1.5M

24.24%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$14.31 E£728

1130.40%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$7.45 E£379

79.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$13.99 E£712

113.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$12.38 E£630

261.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$7.71 E£392

121.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$3.01 E£153

105.98%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$84.6 E£4,306

837.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$2,193 E£111.6K

311.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$32.88 E£1,673

160.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$44.58 E£2,268

31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$127 E£6,477

7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$55.0 E£2,799

87.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$139 E£7,096

659.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$73.1 E£3,719

829.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$277 E£14.1K

625.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$147 E£7,462

696.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$723 E£36.8K

468.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$452 E£23.0K

276.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$145 E£7,356

360.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.33

-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $139 in Alexandria. 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 360% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $132 – making Alexandria 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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 266% more than Alexandria, 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 $703 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Medellin and $84.6 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandria, where all-in costs run around $469, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Alexandria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alexandria costs $469 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 Alexandria. 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.