Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atotonilco el Alto Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atotonilco el Alto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,128 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,972 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Atotonilco el Alto is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.77 MX$202

-31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$65.9 MX$1,132

-27.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.38 MX$161

5.44%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.77 MX$64.7

-16.98%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.79 MX$30.71

6.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.14 MX$19.64

32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.69 MX$63.3

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.74 MX$98.5

0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.96 MX$33.72

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.88 MX$49.43

-13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.07 MX$35.57

-14.49%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.99 MX$51.4

-1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.31 MX$160

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$9.55 MX$164

5.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.31 MX$246

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.70 MX$63.5

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.70 MX$29.16

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.31 MX$39.72

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.00 MX$34.33

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.00 MX$34.32

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.93 MX$33.05

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.65 MX$28.24

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.24 MX$21.33

5.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.80 MX$82.4

-18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$18.86 MX$324

-25.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.44 MX$41.90

-28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.40 MX$75.5

-34.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.77 MX$13.24

58.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.52 MX$60.3

-62.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.78 MX$47.80

-21.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$11.50 MX$197

-24.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.64 MX$28.23

-16.46%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.6K MX$388.4K

23.01%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.3K MX$434.6K

41.30%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$65.6 MX$1,126

170.36%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$28.73 MX$493

-51.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.12 MX$465

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$39.72 MX$682

12.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$24.52 MX$421

-30.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$7.85 MX$135

-15.29%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$279 MX$4,789

191.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,373 MX$92.2K

70.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$56.5 MX$970

58.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$48.41 MX$831

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$106 MX$1,814

30.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$104 MX$1,786

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$637 MX$10.9K

66.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$387 MX$6,640

71.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,233 MX$21.2K

53.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$763 MX$13.1K

34.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,714 MX$29.4K

144.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,238 MX$21.2K

35.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.99

-8.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $637 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $325 per month, with Medellin 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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,926 in Atotonilco el Alto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $637 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $279 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Atotonilco el Alto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Atotonilco el Alto 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.