Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alfenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alfenas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $768 in Alfenas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,334 in Alfenas, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,901 in Alfenas, rent included.

Medellin costs about 114% more than Alfenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Alfenas is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.83 R$19.66

109.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$28.88 R$148

67.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.00 R$30.76

57.00%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.00 R$5.14

194.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.60 R$3.09

210.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.61 R$3.11

139.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.29 R$11.75

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.94 R$15.07

94.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.17 R$5.98

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.88 R$9.62

27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.39 R$7.14

22.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.76 R$14.16

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.56 R$59.3

-12.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.19 R$26.60

92.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.54 R$54.0

34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.78 R$14.24

43.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.78 R$9.13

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.59 R$8.13

35.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.83 R$9.36

25.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.31 R$6.73

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.24 R$6.36

21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.24 R$6.34

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.87 R$4.44

47.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.97 R$10.09

94.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.78 R$50.1

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.64 R$8.39

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.64 R$13.55

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.01 R$5.20

23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$48.62 R$249

60.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.72 R$8.82

-23.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.95 R$4.88

128.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.78 R$50.2

-15.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.23 R$6.29

10.57%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.1K R$118.5K

18.80%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$28.9K R$148.0K

26.59%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$57.4 R$294

193.83%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.14 R$77.6

-10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$19.58 R$100

44.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.46 R$136

72.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$27.69 R$142

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.98 R$35.78

-4.73%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$509 R$2,612

57.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$15.5K R$79.3K

-40.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$63.4 R$325

37.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$61.7 R$316

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$94.7 R$486

46.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$85.0 R$436

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$349 R$1,790

206.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$120 R$616

442.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$662 R$3,391

190.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$456 R$2,340

129.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,507 R$7,725

173.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,297 R$6,647

30.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$484 R$2,482

35.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.04

-9.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $349 in Alfenas. 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 35% 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 $29.00 in Alfenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $234 – making Alfenas 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 Alfenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $768 in Alfenas – roughly 114% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,151 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 28% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $29.00 in Alfenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Alfenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $768 in Alfenas to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. 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.