Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arue Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arue

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,073 in Arue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,589 in Arue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,105 in Arue.

Living in Medellin is roughly 60% more expensive than in Arue, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Arue is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.45 CFPF 148

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$5.00 CFPF 512

-52.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$4.00 CFPF 409

-57.50%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$11.60 CFPF 1,187

-75.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$58.2 CFPF 5,952

-82.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$27.00 CFPF 2,764

-60.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$24.61 CFPF 2,518

-40.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.37 CFPF 549

-23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.87 CFPF 293

-45.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$7.89 CFPF 807

-73.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$8.85 CFPF 906

-75.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$4.43 CFPF 453

-53.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$2.88 CFPF 295

-47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$3.77 CFPF 386

-68.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.50 CFPF 153

-22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$11.93 CFPF 1,221

-67.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$29.51 CFPF 3,021

-51.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$2.91 CFPF 298

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$7.80 CFPF 799

-63.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$165 CFPF 16.8K

6.96%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$124 CFPF 12.7K

-75.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Arue: August 30, 2026

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 60% 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 $2,574 in Medellin and $1,609 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 154% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,073 in Arue – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,073 in Arue versus $1,716 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 $1,073 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 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.