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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $843 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,307 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,770 in Assis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 99% more expensive than in Assis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Assis is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.83 R$30.03

37.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$23.67 R$122

102.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.70 R$29.36

73.51%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.98 R$10.18

58.08%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.15 R$5.92

66.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.78 R$4.01

93.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.53 R$7.86

103.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.00 R$10.30

187.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.04 R$5.35

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.37 R$7.07

81.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.46 R$7.51

21.23%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.48 R$7.64

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.44 R$38.35

35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.82 R$19.67

164.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.46 R$43.60

69.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.84 R$9.48

125.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.15 R$5.94

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.75 R$3.89

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.38 R$7.10

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.13 R$5.81

80.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.94 R$4.86

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.85 R$4.39

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.00 R$5.16

31.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.39 R$12.31

63.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.90 R$30.38

137.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.33 R$6.87

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.84 R$14.63

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.92 R$4.72

32.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$37.82 R$195

112.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.29 R$11.81

-42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.77 R$3.95

184.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.67 R$13.76

226.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.25 R$6.46

9.60%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.8K R$179.2K

-19.98%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.5K R$167.4K

10.10%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$84.4 R$435

110.10%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.94 R$56.4

26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$22.15 R$114

34.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.45 R$131

76.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$26.82 R$138

-36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.74 R$29.59

15.85%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$297 R$1,530

173.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,616 R$39.2K

20.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$41.51 R$214

115.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$58.2 R$300

1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$85.8 R$442

61.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$57.4 R$296

78.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$341 R$1,757

211.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$233 R$1,203

183.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$653 R$3,367

188.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$447 R$2,302

129.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,770 R$9,121

136.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,080 R$5,563

55.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$589 R$3,034

15.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Assis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $341 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $174 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $341 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 113% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $297 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in Assis versus $1,681 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 99% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.