Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alton Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $2,484 in Alton, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $3,798 in Alton, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $5,113 in Alton, rent included.

Medellin is about 59% cheaper than Alton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 25% below the global median, while Alton is 84% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$26.74 £19.82

-77.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$108 £80.3

-69.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$10.79 £7.99

-32.16%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$5.21 £3.86

-68.14%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$2.73 £2.02

-59.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$1.85 £1.37

-57.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$8.85 £6.56

-80.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$7.96 £5.90

-60.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.70 £1.26

-34.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$2.24 £1.66

-41.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$2.46 £1.82

-43.90%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$3.57 £2.65

-37.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$11.41 £8.46

-61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$8.83 £6.54

-34.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$14.63 £10.84

-38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$3.43 £2.54

-34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$2.01 £1.49

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$3.22 £2.39

-54.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$3.49 £2.59

-60.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$1.74 £1.29

-36.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$1.77 £1.31

-34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$1.37 £1.02

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$1.90 £1.41

-54.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$22.73 £16.84

-89.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$10.88 £8.07

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$2.42 £1.80

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$2.79 £2.07

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$3.39 £2.51

-76.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$87.8 £65.1

-53.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$5.40 £4.00

-73.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$1.92 £1.42

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$41.20 £30.53

-81.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.94 £1.44

-50.00%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$38.4K £28.4K

-52.83%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$39.1K £29.0K

-32.72%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$322 £238

-74.73%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$19.67 £14.57

-51.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$43.60 £32.31

-44.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$45.11 £33.43

-42.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$20.18 £14.95

-80.72%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$2,499 £1,852

-87.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$28.6K £21.2K

-79.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$118 £87.6

-50.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$49.46 £36.65

-34.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$132 £97.7

-22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$158 £117

-31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$1,201 £890

-60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$1,009 £748

-63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$2,066 £1,531

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,689 £1,252

-57.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.05

165.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Alton: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $1,201 in Alton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Medellin versus $108 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $322 – making Medellin 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 Alton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,014 in Medellin, $2,484 in Alton – roughly 145% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Medellin and $3,726 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 115% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $304 per month in Medellin and $2,499 in Alton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Alton at $2,484. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton 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 $1,014 in Medellin to $2,484 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.