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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,176 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,775 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,375 in Artem.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 14% less than in Artem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Artem 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$14.97 ₽1,093

-59.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$38.40 ₽2,803

-14.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.91 ₽432

19.97%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.00 ₽219

-43.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.05 ₽76.3

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.68 ₽49.77

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.24 ₽90.3

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.20 ₽234

-4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.56 ₽114

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.73 ₽53.0

72.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.82 ₽133

-24.18%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.73 ₽199

-19.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.43 ₽834

-61.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.07 ₽443

-7.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$10.60 ₽774

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.51 ₽183

-6.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.27 ₽166

-53.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.66 ₽194

-43.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$3.02 ₽221

-54.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.87 ₽63.7

32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.84 ₽61.2

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.67 ₽122

-46.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.18 ₽86.1

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.01 ₽220

-24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.91 ₽650

19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.15 ₽84.1

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.23 ₽235

-23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.53 ₽38.87

62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.86 ₽136

-20.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.17 ₽12.37

1052.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.64 ₽485

16.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.72 ₽52.8

31.94%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$31.9K ₽2.3M

-43.17%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-30.51%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$176 ₽12.8K

-53.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.74 ₽419

65.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$8.51 ₽621

184.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$36.24 ₽2,645

-28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.74 ₽419

-31.53%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$475 ₽34.7K

-34.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,897 ₽503.4K

-13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$119 ₽8,719

-50.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$59.2 ₽4,319

-45.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$81.7 ₽5,964

25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$150 ₽10.9K

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$449 ₽32.8K

6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$303 ₽22.1K

24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$760 ₽55.5K

10.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$514 ₽37.5K

40.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,646 ₽193.1K

5.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,615 ₽117.8K

-24.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-36.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Artem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $449 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $245 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 Artem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Artem. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,764 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: $476 in Medellin versus $449 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $475 in Artem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $38.00 in Artem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,176 in Artem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Artem. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Artem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.