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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $793 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,236 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,679 in Assis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than Assis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Assis 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.27 R$26.20

12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$27.15 R$135

22.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.48 R$32.20

11.88%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.78 R$8.87

-3.93%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.11 R$5.53

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.63 R$3.11

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.85 R$9.18

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.73 R$13.58

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$0.92 R$4.59

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.22 R$6.08

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.85 R$9.18

-25.41%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.39 R$6.90

58.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$6.96 R$34.58

-35.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.64 R$23.05

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$8.08 R$40.14

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.22 R$11.02

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.07 R$5.30

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.10 R$5.47

37.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.74 R$8.63

-21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.85 R$9.20

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.09 R$5.43

7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.80 R$3.96

3.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.93 R$4.63

-8.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.10 R$10.42

11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$6.12 R$30.41

81.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.25 R$6.23

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.09 R$10.38

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.87 R$4.31

-9.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$38.16 R$190

9.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.10 R$5.46

30.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.69 R$3.45

175.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.23 R$30.97

23.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.03 R$5.14

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$20.4K R$101.5K

-13.38%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$27.6K R$137.3K

-2.22%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$60.1 R$299

35.56%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$13.53 R$67.2

-30.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$18.54 R$92.1

28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.40 R$111

15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.87 R$109

-11.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.24 R$31.01

-35.10%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$273 R$1,358

14.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,450 R$32.1K

-5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$49.24 R$245

19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$42.20 R$210

-22.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$77.2 R$383

30.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$63.4 R$315

67.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$312 R$1,548

57.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$213 R$1,056

74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$584 R$2,904

43.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$433 R$2,150

65.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,761 R$8,754

67.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,103 R$5,481

26.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$591 R$2,935

-9.91%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Assis: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $312 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Assis pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $27 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Assis earns 11% 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: $490 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 10% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $273 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $793 in Assis versus $1,030 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 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.