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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,054 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,700 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,346 in Alexandria.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$15.67 JMD 2,459

-48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

-37.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.79 JMD 1,380

12.51%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$5.46 JMD 857

-42.67%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.19 JMD 187

60.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.73 JMD 115

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.27 JMD 356

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.22 JMD 505

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$4.25 JMD 666

-66.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.71 JMD 582

-32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.65 JMD 259

7.27%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.47 JMD 545

-14.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.54 JMD 1,810

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.43 JMD 1,008

57.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.27 JMD 1,611

39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$6.12 JMD 961

-32.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.93 JMD 617

-59.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$7.22 JMD 1,132

-68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.11 JMD 488

-27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$3.32 JMD 522

-38.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.74 JMD 429

-43.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$3.00 JMD 471

-61.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.51 JMD 238

-13.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$9.58 JMD 1,504

-59.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.39 JMD 1,787

23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.94 JMD 461

-40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$4.10 JMD 644

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.22 JMD 192

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.22 JMD 505

-31.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.21 JMD 974

40.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.39 JMD 218

-1.44%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$44.6K JMD 7.0M

-37.60%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

10.29%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$177 JMD 27.7K

0.28%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$29.86 JMD 4,685

-53.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$53.6 JMD 8,403

-44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.44 JMD 2,109

-50.52%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$368 JMD 57.7K

121.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,319 JMD 1.3M

10.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$23.65 JMD 3,710

278.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$31.07 JMD 4,875

89.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$78.8 JMD 12.4K

75.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$102 JMD 15.9K

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.45

15.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $77.0 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $388 per month, with Medellin 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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Alexandria differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,054 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,581 in Alexandria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $368 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Alexandria versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.