Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atlantida Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atlantida

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,465 in Atlantida, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,318 in Atlantida, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $3,171 in Atlantida, rent included.

Medellin costs about 15% more than Atlantida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Atlantida sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Atlantida by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$14.88 UYU 598

-46.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$36.72 UYU 1,476

30.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$12.31 UYU 495

-19.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.09 UYU 124

1.29%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.91 UYU 76.9

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.18 UYU 47.42

27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.81 UYU 113

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.57 UYU 144

61.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.32 UYU 53.1

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.62 UYU 105

-4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.42 UYU 57.0

24.65%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.37 UYU 176

-32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$12.14 UYU 488

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.90 UYU 317

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.79 UYU 434

32.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.82 UYU 113

46.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.16 UYU 86.7

-25.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.14 UYU 46.00

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.92 UYU 117

-22.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.72 UYU 69.3

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.02 UYU 81.0

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.29 UYU 52.0

-9.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.91 UYU 76.9

-31.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.79 UYU 193

-18.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.98 UYU 281

100.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.53 UYU 102

13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$2.18 UYU 87.6

-44.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$49.84 UYU 2,003

61.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.43 UYU 97.7

-46.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.49 UYU 140

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$9.80 UYU 394

-11.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-31.50%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.0K UYU 1.4M

-22.60%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-3.25%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$86.2 UYU 3,464

105.68%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$23.62 UYU 949

-41.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$31.86 UYU 1,280

-6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$63.2 UYU 2,539

-28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$17.24 UYU 693

-0.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$11.87 UYU 477

-43.98%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$496 UYU 19.9K

63.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,750 UYU 271.3K

36.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$75.0 UYU 3,013

19.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$75.8 UYU 3,045

-22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$164 UYU 6,573

-15.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$119 UYU 4,763

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$662 UYU 26.6K

60.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$481 UYU 19.3K

37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,240 UYU 49.8K

52.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$873 UYU 35.1K

17.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,005 UYU 80.6K

108.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,485 UYU 59.7K

12.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$523 UYU 21.0K

29.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Atlantida: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $662 in Atlantida. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Atlantida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $282 – making Atlantida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Atlantida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,198 in Atlantida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atlantida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $37.00 in Atlantida. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,465 in Atlantida. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atlantida, where all-in costs run around $1,465, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Atlantida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atlantida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Atlantida. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.