Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,012 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Arue

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Arue actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,012 in Arue.

Medellin $1,625
Arue $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,498 in Arue.

Medellin $2,412
Arue $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,984 in Arue.

Medellin $3,199
Arue $1,984

Living in Medellin is roughly 61% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Arue is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.34 CFPF 142

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$4.54 CFPF 481

-47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.75 CFPF 397

-54.67%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$11.43 CFPF 1,209

-74.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$55.4 CFPF 5,859

-81.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$26.05 CFPF 2,756

-62.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$22.92 CFPF 2,425

-39.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$5.29 CFPF 560

-21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.89 CFPF 305

-47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$7.36 CFPF 779

-69.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$8.54 CFPF 904

-73.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$4.09 CFPF 433

-51.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.83 CFPF 300

-40.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$3.81 CFPF 403

-69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.37 CFPF 145

-9.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$11.86 CFPF 1,255

-67.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$27.67 CFPF 2,927

-50.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.73 CFPF 289

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$7.40 CFPF 782

-67.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$156 CFPF 16.5K

6.71%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$122 CFPF 12.9K

-76.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Arue

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Arue

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

5 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Arue 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Arue

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,518 in Arue 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.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 146% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,012 in Arue – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Arue versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Arue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Arue hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.