Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ardabil Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ardabil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $591 in Ardabil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $915 in Ardabil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,238 in Ardabil.

Living in Medellin is roughly 72% more expensive than Ardabil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ardabil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.28 $5.28

12.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$16.70 $16.70

99.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.83 $5.83

24.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 $1.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.48 $1.48

10.14%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.46 $0.46

136.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.51 $0.51

43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.79 $0.79

32.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.54 $0.54

138.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$3.06 $3.06

-56.86%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.10 $1.10

106.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$5.77 $5.77

-24.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.26 $3.26

80.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.67 $9.67

-10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.79 $1.79

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.58 $1.58

-32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.90 $1.90

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.00 $1.00

42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.08 $1.08

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.75 $0.75

56.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.20 $1.20

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.23 $0.23

291.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.24 $1.24

81.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.19 $0.19

342.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$10.07 $10.07

316.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.34 $0.34

314.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.29 $0.29

555.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.95 $1.95

297.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.73 $0.73

38.36%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$73.9K $73.9K

-76.20%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$55.2K $55.2K

-51.96%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$15.94 $15.94

424.97%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$2.04 $2.04

363.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$5.86 $5.86

311.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.81 $22.81

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$12.57 $12.57

52.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$1.51 $1.51

171.52%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$115 $115

172.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,959 $1,959

205.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$39.44 $39.44

47.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$22.29 $22.29

46.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$111 $111

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$70.4 $70.4

54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$339 $339

42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$202 $202

87.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$697 $697

20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$319 $319

126.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,098 $1,098

158.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$581 $581

110.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

22.24

-39.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ardabil: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $339 in Ardabil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Ardabil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $136 per month, with Ardabil 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 Ardabil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ardabil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $887 in Ardabil 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $339 in Ardabil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ardabil runs roughly 317% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $115 in Ardabil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $591 in Ardabil versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ardabil but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ardabil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ardabil is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ardabil 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 Ardabil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.