Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Asmara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Asmara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,483 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,175 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,866 in Asmara.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 32% less than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Asmara is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$12.52 ERN 188

-52.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$30.40 ERN 457

8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$6.14 ERN 92.3

15.47%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$0.74 ERN 11.10

131.08%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$1.88 ERN 28.26

-41.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$1.36 ERN 20.45

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.02 ERN 15.32

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.04 ERN 30.67

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.59 ERN 23.95

-31.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.49 ERN 7.36

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.94 ERN 29.13

-28.87%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$4.44 ERN 66.8

-50.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.05 ERN 45.80

44.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$26.68 ERN 401

-78.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.09 ERN 152

-11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$12.27 ERN 184

-80.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.25 ERN 18.79

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.90 ERN 28.63

-21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.18 ERN 17.79

16.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.78 ERN 26.68

-35.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.06 ERN 15.86

9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.65 ERN 9.78

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-61.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$1.97 ERN 29.55

15.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$11.95 ERN 180

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.01 ERN 15.19

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.19 ERN 17.87

107.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.14 ERN 2.11

514.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$8.04 ERN 121

414.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.68 ERN 10.23

116.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.61 ERN 9.23

221.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$8.27 ERN 124

-6.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-56.42%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

-72.44%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

-61.71%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$27.01 ERN 406

204.52%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$67.8 ERN 1,019

-85.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$201 ERN 3,018

-87.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$27.53 ERN 414

-5.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$7.68 ERN 115

147.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$1.13 ERN 17.00

247.79%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$25.33 ERN 381

1121.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

255.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$81.0 ERN 1,217

-27.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$74.2 ERN 1,115

-56.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$197 ERN 2,962

-47.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$94.8 ERN 1,425

14.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$467 ERN 7,017

2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$405 ERN 6,083

-6.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$737 ERN 11.1K

13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$659 ERN 9,908

9.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

123.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

-51.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Asmara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $467 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $369, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Asmara differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,483 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $2,225 in Asmara 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 $467 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 415% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $25.33 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,483 in Asmara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Asmara. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Asmara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.