Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arrest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,019 in Arrest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $3,169 in Arrest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $4,318 in Arrest.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 19% less than in Arrest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Arrest 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$18.78 €16.19

-57.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$82.2 €70.8

-41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$13.65 €11.76

-30.99%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$5.10 €4.39

-42.35%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$4.77 €4.11

-61.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$2.94 €2.53

-50.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$7.95 €6.86

-59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$6.79 €5.86

-15.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.52 €1.31

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.56 €2.21

-6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.88 €2.48

-40.97%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$4.61 €3.98

-37.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$23.75 €20.47

-57.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$14.91 €12.86

-33.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$22.63 €19.50

-37.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.53 €3.04

12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.29 €1.98

-31.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.10 €2.67

-30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.24 €3.65

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.00 €1.73

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.69 €2.32

-43.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.91 €1.64

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.95 €0.82

34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$14.98 €12.91

-74.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.09 €7.83

54.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.81 €2.42

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.86 €3.33

-29.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.95 €1.68

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$49.77 €42.90

56.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$9.05 €7.80

-85.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.54 €1.33

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$48.43 €41.75

-82.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.20 €1.89

-38.18%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$35.9K €30.9K

-23.47%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$37.0K €31.9K

-1.25%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$273 €235

-38.21%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.64 €15.21

-23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$30.22 €26.05

-6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$36.88 €31.79

23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$15.14 €13.05

-56.08%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,877 €1,618

-57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.5K €9,042

-12.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$116 €100

-24.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$50.8 €43.76

16.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$121 €104

14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$163 €141

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$794 €684

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$641 €552

1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,460 €1,259

31.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,159 €999

-9.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,164 €3,589

-0.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,219 €2,774

-47.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.27

234.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Arrest: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $794 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $82.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $420 per month, with Medellin 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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $3,028 in Arrest 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $794 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $1,877 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,019 in Arrest, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arrest. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and Arrest 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.