Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Artem Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Artem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,080 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,664 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,248 in Artem.

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than in Artem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Artem is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$11.73 ₽987

-31.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$34.82 ₽2,930

37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.44 ₽542

53.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.96 ₽249

5.74%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.07 ₽90.4

78.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.64 ₽53.8

135.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.41 ₽119

121.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.25 ₽190

155.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.66 ₽140

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$0.63 ₽53.1

295.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.57 ₽132

12.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.26 ₽190

30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$13.24 ₽1,114

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.70 ₽479

77.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$10.89 ₽916

31.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.80 ₽236

47.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.99 ₽167

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.73 ₽230

-17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.86 ₽241

-21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.70 ₽58.8

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.97 ₽81.9

58.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.30 ₽109

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.09 ₽91.8

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.83 ₽238

37.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.53 ₽633

86.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.13 ₽94.7

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.22 ₽187

29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.49 ₽41.24

148.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$2.39 ₽201

-45.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.33 ₽28.07

563.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.36 ₽451

62.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.82 ₽69.3

67.07%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$43.7K ₽3.7M

-36.25%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$35.0K ₽2.9M

2.07%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$152 ₽12.8K

16.96%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$8.24 ₽693

68.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$9.15 ₽770

224.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$34.26 ₽2,883

31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$22.90 ₽1,927

-25.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.31 ₽447

25.24%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$314 ₽26.4K

159.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$6,352 ₽534.4K

44.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$67.2 ₽5,651

33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$58.4 ₽4,915

0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$95.3 ₽8,020

44.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$125 ₽10.5K

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$452 ₽38.0K

135.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$303 ₽25.5K

118.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$782 ₽65.8K

141.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$540 ₽45.4K

90.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,271 ₽191.1K

84.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,461 ₽122.9K

14.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

23.6

-53.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Artem: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $452 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $238 per month, with Artem 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 Artem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artem wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,621 in Artem 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $452 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $314 in Artem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Artem – 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 $1,080 in Artem versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Artem but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Artem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Artem delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,080 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Artem hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Artem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.