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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,472 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,178 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,884 in Asmara.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 30% less than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Asmara is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$12.50 ERN 188

-50.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$29.48 ERN 443

10.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.86 ERN 88.0

25.26%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$0.80 ERN 12.03

115.00%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.88 ERN 28.22

-44.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.34 ERN 20.18

-42.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.03 ERN 15.41

64.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.99 ERN 29.89

59.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.66 ERN 24.95

-36.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.48 ERN 7.23

170.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.97 ERN 29.60

-28.93%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$4.47 ERN 67.2

-51.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$3.06 ERN 46.03

43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$26.59 ERN 400

-77.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.04 ERN 151

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$12.00 ERN 180

-81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.25 ERN 18.83

-11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.94 ERN 29.19

-21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.25 ERN 18.81

8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.74 ERN 26.22

-35.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.10 ERN 16.46

2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.66 ERN 9.91

28.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$2.19 ERN 32.98

-58.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.01 ERN 30.28

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$22.69 ERN 341

-45.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.02 ERN 15.26

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.20 ERN 18.09

107.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.14 ERN 2.10

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$7.78 ERN 117

421.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.69 ERN 10.39

105.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.65 ERN 9.75

195.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$8.09 ERN 122

-5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$2.19 ERN 32.93

-54.79%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

-72.47%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

-62.23%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$27.41 ERN 412

194.82%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$67.3 ERN 1,012

-85.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$196 ERN 2,953

-87.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$26.92 ERN 405

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$7.69 ERN 116

149.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$1.07 ERN 16.06

271.96%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$24.81 ERN 373

1130.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

264.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$83.5 ERN 1,255

-30.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$75.8 ERN 1,139

-57.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$197 ERN 2,956

-48.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$94.1 ERN 1,414

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$476 ERN 7,156

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$398 ERN 5,980

-5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$729 ERN 11.0K

15.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$647 ERN 9,729

12.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

44.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

-38.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$997 ERN 15.0K

-38.15%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $476 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asmara pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $390, 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,472 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Asmara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $476 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 421% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $24.81 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,472 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 43% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.