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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,400 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,194 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,988 in Asmara.

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Asmara 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$21.28 ERN 320

-62.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$33.91 ERN 510

42.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.15 ERN 92.6

58.86%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$0.83 ERN 12.46

250.60%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.98 ERN 14.80

97.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.99 ERN 14.88

53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$0.58 ERN 8.78

432.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.58 ERN 23.85

-13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.37 ERN 35.61

-28.27%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.26 ERN 64.1

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$2.93 ERN 44.08

239.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$27.34 ERN 411

-60.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.91 ERN 149

48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$12.25 ERN 184

-66.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.25 ERN 18.80

25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.97 ERN 29.69

8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.14 ERN 17.13

93.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.85 ERN 27.79

10.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.91 ERN 13.63

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$2.27 ERN 34.24

-48.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$12.11 ERN 182

19.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.02 ERN 15.38

54.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$0.98 ERN 14.79

188.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.11 ERN 1.67

963.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$7.82 ERN 118

893.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.59 ERN 8.83

254.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$9.97 ERN 150

-13.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$2.52 ERN 37.99

-48.41%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$66.8K ERN 1.0M

-58.59%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$70.8K ERN 1.1M

-49.87%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$25.04 ERN 377

603.15%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$69.0 ERN 1,038

-80.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$198 ERN 2,978

-84.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$26.53 ERN 399

68.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$4.90 ERN 73.7

248.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$1.22 ERN 18.30

408.20%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$25.05 ERN 377

3067.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$2,644 ERN 39.8K

241.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$135 ERN 2,037

-36.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$118 ERN 1,772

-50.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$202 ERN 3,037

-32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$151 ERN 2,270

-31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$249 ERN 3,743

326.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$200 ERN 3,006

240.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$445 ERN 6,698

352.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$418 ERN 6,297

179.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,271 ERN 19.1K

223.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,529 ERN 38.1K

-32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Asmara: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $249 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $366, 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,400 including rent). Asmara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $2,100 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $249 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asmara runs roughly 894% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $25.05 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,400 in Asmara versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Asmara but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Asmara 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 Asmara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.