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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $860 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,419 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,978 in Alexandria.

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than Alexandria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Alexandria 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$9.00 RON 40.68

-33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$33.89 RON 153

-3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.84 RON 30.94

3.65%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.87 RON 8.44

-8.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.94 RON 8.78

-43.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.64 RON 7.41

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.24 RON 10.15

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.84 RON 12.83

8.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.34 RON 6.06

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.27 RON 5.73

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.41 RON 6.37

-2.13%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.40 RON 6.31

56.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.34 RON 24.15

-17.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.48 RON 20.26

25.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.59 RON 38.82

3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.89 RON 4.03

162.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.51 RON 6.80

-29.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.18 RON 5.31

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.12 RON 5.07

23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.48 RON 2.18

139.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.71 RON 3.21

63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.44 RON 2.01

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.72 RON 3.26

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$5.65 RON 25.53

-59.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.62 RON 25.41

89.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.72 RON 3.24

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$0.91 RON 4.10

171.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.72 RON 3.27

19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$23.07 RON 104

79.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.47 RON 2.13

212.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.44 RON 1.97

345.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.20 RON 23.50

48.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.58 RON 7.16

-39.87%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$18.1K RON 81.7K

0.31%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$23.9K RON 107.9K

10.98%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$115 RON 521

-28.58%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$6.98 RON 31.55

36.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$6.86 RON 31.01

253.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$38.58 RON 174

-32.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$9.09 RON 41.07

109.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.66 RON 21.05

-15.67%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$436 RON 1,971

-29.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,987 RON 31.6K

-14.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$67.6 RON 306

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$34.95 RON 158

-7.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$69.3 RON 313

48.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$68.5 RON 310

58.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$349 RON 1,576

36.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$232 RON 1,047

63.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$802 RON 3,624

4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$571 RON 2,580

26.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,357 RON 6,135

105.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$843 RON 3,811

43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,332 RON 6,021

-61.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.5

106.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $349 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Alexandria. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $155, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

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 18% 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, Alexandria earns 160% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $349 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $860 in Alexandria – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 79% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $860 in Alexandria versus $1,013 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 $860 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 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.