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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,784 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,408 in Artem.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 11% less than in Artem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Artem 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$15.05 ₽1,183

-59.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$37.44 ₽2,941

-12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.86 ₽460

25.26%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.89 ₽227

-40.48%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.00 ₽78.7

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.64 ₽50.0

20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.25 ₽98.4

35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.15 ₽248

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.57 ₽123

-33.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.68 ₽53.3

91.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.73 ₽136

-19.08%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.75 ₽216

-21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.32 ₽889

-61.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.99 ₽470

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.60 ₽833

-18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.52 ₽198

-9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.35 ₽184

-52.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.71 ₽213

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$3.02 ₽237

-55.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.87 ₽68.6

29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.85 ₽66.8

32.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.69 ₽133

-49.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.21 ₽95.2

-24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.02 ₽238

-22.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.64 ₽679

43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.09 ₽85.4

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.19 ₽251

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.49 ₽38.41

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.92 ₽151

-26.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.17 ₽13.36

1029.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.39 ₽502

19.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.74 ₽57.8

33.78%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$32.3K ₽2.5M

-44.11%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$38.2K ₽3.0M

-30.30%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$181 ₽14.2K

-55.37%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.46 ₽429

82.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$8.81 ₽692

174.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$36.14 ₽2,839

-30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.53 ₽434

-28.03%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$486 ₽38.2K

-37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,960 ₽546.8K

-12.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$122 ₽9,584

-52.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$59.0 ₽4,634

-45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$81.7 ₽6,419

23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$153 ₽12.0K

-29.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$436 ₽34.3K

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$301 ₽23.7K

24.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$775 ₽60.9K

9.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$513 ₽40.3K

42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,291 ₽180.0K

40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,596 ₽125.4K

-14.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Artem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $436 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $243 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 13% 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 $1,546 in Medellin and $1,740 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: $477 in Medellin versus $436 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $486 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 $37.00 in Artem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,160 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 $1,031 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 13% less than in Artem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.