Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $249 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Altos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Altos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $249 in Altos.

Medellin $1,639
Altos $249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $373 in Altos.

Medellin $2,413
Altos $373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $497 in Altos.

Medellin $3,186
Altos $497

Living in Medellin is roughly 559% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Altos is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.48 ₲2,851

214.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.91 ₲5,437

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.98 ₲5,842

80.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.88 ₲11.2K

53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.98 ₲35.7K

70.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.45 ₲20.6K

186.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$5.63 ₲33.6K

148.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.38 ₲14.2K

66.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.31 ₲7,827

18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.43 ₲8,537

52.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.84 ₲11.0K

18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.16 ₲6,931

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.39 ₲8,296

14.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.17 ₲6,969

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.87 ₲5,166

42.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$0.96 ₲5,729

312.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.11 ₲48.4K

68.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.73 ₲4,344

127.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$0.84 ₲4,983

169.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.39 ₲2,302

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$11.80 ₲70.4K

555.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.71 ₲10.2K

-25.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.72 ₲4,266

184.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.12 ₲6,710

20.54%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.1K ₲113.9M

78.39%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.8K ₲142.2M

45.45%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$34.79 ₲207.5K

387.64%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$7.91 ₲47.2K

71.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$13.81 ₲82.4K

103.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.58 ₲21.3K

93.02%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$25.46 ₲151.9K

232.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,480 ₲8.8M

181.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$998 ₲6.0M

91.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$491 ₲2.9M

33.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,763

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Altos 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Altos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $249 in Altos versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Altos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Altos wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.