Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Andong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Andong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,395 in Andong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,151 in Andong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,907 in Andong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than in Andong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Andong 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.87 ₩8,098

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$34.96 ₩48.3K

36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.73 ₩9,291

46.95%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.54 ₩4,886

-11.58%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.52 ₩2,095

25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.57 ₩790

164.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.39 ₩4,676

-7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.39 ₩6,058

30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.19 ₩3,026

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$3.17 ₩4,379

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.24 ₩3,095

-20.98%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.25 ₩4,479

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$15.38 ₩21.2K

-34.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.72 ₩10.7K

31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.25 ₩15.5K

27.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$7.67 ₩10.6K

-46.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$3.18 ₩4,393

-49.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$7.22 ₩9,970

-68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$6.75 ₩9,322

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$3.43 ₩4,737

-40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.49 ₩3,431

-38.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.98 ₩2,734

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.31 ₩1,810

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.40 ₩4,694

14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$18.45 ₩25.5K

-24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.18 ₩3,007

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.42 ₩4,717

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.13 ₩1,555

7.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.05 ₩4,205

-57.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.65 ₩898

236.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$16.51 ₩22.8K

-47.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.40 ₩1,928

-2.14%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$29.0K ₩40.0M

-4.01%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$35.5K ₩49.0M

0.69%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$213 ₩294.6K

-16.94%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$42.88 ₩59.2K

-67.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$20.89 ₩28.8K

42.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$56.8 ₩78.4K

-21.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$12.13 ₩16.7K

41.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.08 ₩15.3K

-39.98%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$296 ₩409.2K

174.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$17.9K ₩24.7M

-48.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$65.8 ₩90.8K

35.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$63.9 ₩88.2K

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$74.6 ₩102.9K

85.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$97.8 ₩135.0K

4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$450 ₩620.6K

136.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$353 ₩486.9K

87.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,173 ₩1.6M

61.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$726 ₩1.0M

41.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$7,016 ₩9.7M

-40.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$5,511 ₩7.6M

-69.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,877 ₩2.6M

-63.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.1

166.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Andong: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $450 in Andong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 177% 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 $35.00 in Andong. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $408, with Medellin 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 Andong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andong wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Andong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 177% lower in Andong. 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 $450 in Andong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $296 in Andong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Andong – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,395 in Andong versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Andong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Andong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Andong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,395 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Andong hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Andong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Andong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.