Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Assis Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Assis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $770 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,226 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,681 in Assis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Assis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Assis 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.48 R$28.24

9.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$27.09 R$140

21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.13 R$31.60

15.66%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.71 R$8.80

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.08 R$5.57

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.62 R$3.18

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.78 R$9.17

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.74 R$14.09

12.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.01 R$5.23

7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.24 R$6.36

1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.76 R$9.05

-21.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$1.42 R$7.33

54.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$6.97 R$35.92

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$4.81 R$24.78

17.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.82 R$40.27

13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.11 R$10.88

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.10 R$5.64

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.11 R$5.70

35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.75 R$9.00

-21.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.75 R$9.02

-34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.06 R$5.44

9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.80 R$4.10

11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.93 R$4.82

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.11 R$10.88

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$6.28 R$32.32

69.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.22 R$6.28

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$1.99 R$10.25

24.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.93 R$4.80

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$38.23 R$197

8.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.10 R$5.69

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.74 R$3.82

164.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.46 R$33.28

19.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.05 R$5.40

-9.52%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.7K R$106.6K

-12.42%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$28.1K R$144.8K

-5.75%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$59.7 R$308

37.75%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$13.72 R$70.7

-30.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$18.82 R$97.0

28.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.93 R$118

12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.71 R$112

-12.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.17 R$31.77

-36.30%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$268 R$1,379

15.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,442 R$33.2K

-7.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$49.59 R$255

18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$41.46 R$214

-21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$74.6 R$384

37.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$63.4 R$327

70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$312 R$1,605

52.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$216 R$1,111

75.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$590 R$3,040

42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$427 R$2,200

69.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,366 R$7,039

104.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,214 R$6,254

-0.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$585 R$3,011

-12.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Assis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $312 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Assis pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $178 per month, with Assis 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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Assis earns 14% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $312 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $268 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $770 in Assis versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assis 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.

Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.