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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $775 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,236 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,698 in Assis.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Assis 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$5.31 R$26.88

11.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$27.04 R$137

22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$6.26 R$31.68

13.74%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$1.79 R$9.07

-4.47%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$1.13 R$5.69

-7.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.63 R$3.17

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$1.83 R$9.24

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.65 R$13.43

19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.00 R$5.07

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.28 R$6.46

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$1.83 R$9.26

-27.32%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.44 R$7.27

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$6.65 R$33.66

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$4.85 R$24.51

22.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$7.97 R$40.29

8.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$2.17 R$11.00

7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.11 R$5.62

-0.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.10 R$5.58

33.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.70 R$8.57

-18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$1.76 R$8.90

-33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.10 R$5.55

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.83 R$4.20

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.88 R$4.47

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$2.16 R$10.92

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$5.99 R$30.29

99.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$1.20 R$6.09

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.99 R$10.05

21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.93 R$4.72

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$38.17 R$193

6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.10 R$5.55

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.71 R$3.59

169.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.38 R$32.26

22.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.08 R$5.46

-12.96%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$20.5K R$103.8K

-13.14%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$28.1K R$142.1K

-3.61%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$59.5 R$301

39.86%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$13.32 R$67.4

-27.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$18.53 R$93.7

30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$22.96 R$116

9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$21.28 R$108

-9.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$6.40 R$32.37

-36.41%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$266 R$1,346

15.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$6,550 R$33.1K

-8.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$48.37 R$245

23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$41.65 R$211

-21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$77.0 R$389

31.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$63.7 R$322

69.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$309 R$1,563

54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$217 R$1,100

74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$594 R$3,004

37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$437 R$2,212

61.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$1,415 R$7,156

125.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,107 R$5,598

30.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$590 R$2,984

5.38%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Assis: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $309 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 5% 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 $27.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 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.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $309 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 7% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $266 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $775 in Assis versus $1,018 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.