Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Apia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Apia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $874 in Apia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,359 in Apia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,844 in Apia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 92% more expensive than in Apia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$46.94 WST 129

-82.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$36.67 WST 101

30.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$14.38 WST 39.52

-31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.96 WST 8.13

5.74%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.87 WST 5.14

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$1.40 WST 3.84

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$3.56 WST 9.79

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.73 WST 10.26

54.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.79 WST 4.91

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$0.79 WST 2.17

215.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.86 WST 5.10

-4.84%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$4.42 WST 12.15

-33.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$0.96 WST 2.62

948.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.77 WST 10.35

168.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$8.24 WST 22.63

73.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$5.18 WST 14.22

-20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.86 WST 5.12

-13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.80 WST 4.94

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$4.46 WST 12.27

-49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$3.58 WST 9.84

-43.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.12 WST 3.08

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.24 WST 3.40

5.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.10 WST 16.76

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$16.73 WST 45.96

-16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.84 WST 5.06

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.58 WST 9.85

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$3.68 WST 10.11

-66.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$5.38 WST 14.79

-75.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$5.46 WST 15.00

-59.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$21.73 WST 59.7

-59.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.08 WST 2.97

26.85%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$18.67 WST 51.3

849.65%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$18.48 WST 50.8

-24.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$36.82 WST 101

-19.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

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

$813 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$1,858 WST 5,105

-44.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Apia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $242 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

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 Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,311 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $874 in Apia – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $874 in Apia versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Apia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $874 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Apia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.