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 $902 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,401 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,900 in Alexandria.

Living in Medellin is roughly 86% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Alexandria is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$8.89 RON 40.74

-9.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$31.83 RON 146

50.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.90 RON 36.21

25.19%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.74 RON 7.96

79.89%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.91 RON 8.77

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.57 RON 7.19

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.24 RON 10.27

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.65 RON 12.16

116.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.51 RON 6.92

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.85 RON 3.92

192.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.18 RON 5.41

50.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.19 RON 10.04

35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$5.31 RON 24.36

89.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.55 RON 20.87

122.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$8.08 RON 37.03

76.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$0.94 RON 4.29

340.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.20 RON 5.48

34.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.01 RON 4.63

122.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.03 RON 4.72

118.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.69 RON 3.18

195.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.64 RON 2.95

140.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.75 RON 3.42

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.91 RON 4.15

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$5.51 RON 25.25

-29.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$5.37 RON 24.62

160.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$0.96 RON 4.40

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.11 RON 5.10

158.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.68 RON 3.12

79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$43.97 RON 202

83.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.45 RON 2.08

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.45 RON 2.08

386.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$5.66 RON 25.95

53.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.72 RON 7.90

-20.35%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$16.9K RON 77.5K

64.73%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$24.3K RON 111.3K

47.30%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$120 RON 548

48.23%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$5.56 RON 25.50

149.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$8.20 RON 37.60

262.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$61.4 RON 281

-26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$26.11 RON 120

-34.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.54 RON 29.96

1.68%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$323 RON 1,481

151.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,000 RON 32.1K

31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$55.3 RON 253

61.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$23.39 RON 107

152.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$66.4 RON 304

108.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$65.1 RON 299

56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$323 RON 1,483

228.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$253 RON 1,159

162.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$597 RON 2,738

216.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$443 RON 2,030

131.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,315 RON 6,027

218.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$829 RON 3,799

102.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$886 RON 4,060

-23.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.73

62.56%

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 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $323 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 31% 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 $32.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $156 per month, with Alexandria 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

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Alexandria. 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 $323 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $902 in Alexandria – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 83% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $902 in Alexandria versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $902 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.