Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Assela Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Assela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Medellin is roughly 105% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.94 ETB 632

103.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$43.27 ETB 6,949

11.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$6.66 ETB 1,070

46.70%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$0.95 ETB 152

206.32%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.60 ETB 95.9

223.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.63 ETB 102

141.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.77 ETB 123

301.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.28 ETB 366

151.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.07 ETB 172

27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.20 ETB 193

99.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.11 ETB 338

-19.43%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.72 ETB 277

66.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$7.27 ETB 1,167

36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$10.10 ETB 1,621

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.16 ETB 1,471

60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.27 ETB 846

-22.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$0.63 ETB 101

149.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.20 ETB 353

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$0.67 ETB 107

229.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.50 ETB 79.9

310.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.06 ETB 170

41.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.66 ETB 106

80.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.57 ETB 91.4

103.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-50.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$5.48 ETB 881

163.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.66 ETB 105

139.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.23 ETB 198

130.08%

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

$1.31 ETB 210

-2.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.27 ETB 43.34

674.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$1.99 ETB 319

333.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.97 ETB 156

34.02%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-49.05%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-35.34%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$208 ETB 33.4K

-15.27%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$7.28 ETB 1,170

83.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$210 ETB 33.8K

-85.80%

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

$3.86 ETB 620

60.62%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$137 ETB 22.0K

479.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-69.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$33.35 ETB 5,356

156.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

71.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

24.15%

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

18.5

-40.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $210 per month, with Assela cheaper across the board.

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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,254 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $137 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.