Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atibaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atibaia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $745 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,307 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,869 in Atibaia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Atibaia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Atibaia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.53 R$28.24

11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.54 R$141

18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.67 R$29.00

29.45%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.97 R$10.08

-12.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.20 R$6.13

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.83 R$4.23

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.82 R$9.28

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.64 R$13.50

20.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.06 R$5.40

-0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.61 R$8.23

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.35 R$6.90

3.70%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.83 R$14.47

-23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.95 R$50.9

-55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.18 R$21.36

40.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.87 R$45.35

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.69 R$8.61

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.21 R$6.18

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.09 R$5.59

40.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.40 R$7.16

-3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.09 R$5.58

3.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.19 R$6.10

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.94 R$4.80

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.74 R$3.81

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.10 R$10.75

11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$7.47 R$38.20

65.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.40 R$7.18

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.04 R$10.43

22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.88 R$4.50

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$38.35 R$196

5.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.28 R$6.54

10.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.07 R$5.45

79.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.48 R$33.13

18.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.09 R$5.55

-9.17%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$16.2K R$83.0K

10.99%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.5K R$140.7K

-3.28%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$73.5 R$376

9.96%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$11.82 R$60.4

-15.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$20.70 R$106

16.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$21.65 R$111

15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$17.78 R$90.9

7.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.81 R$39.89

-49.04%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$287 R$1,466

6.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$8,033 R$41.1K

-24.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.47 R$237

25.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$34.60 R$177

-6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$68.3 R$349

47.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$41.37 R$211

160.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$273 R$1,397

74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$181 R$927

107.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$918 R$4,690

-7.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$618 R$3,160

18.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,915 R$9,789

67.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,675 R$8,561

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$490 R$2,505

25.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.8

37.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Atibaia: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $273 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% 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 $28.00 in Atibaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $192 per month, with Atibaia 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 Atibaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Atibaia differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $745 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $273 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Atibaia versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.