Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avaré Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avaré

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $751 in Avaré.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,247 in Avaré.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,742 in Avaré.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than Avaré, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$3.58 R$17.79

65.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$39.84 R$198

-16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.37 R$21.71

65.90%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.85 R$9.20

-7.57%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.57 R$2.81

91.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.35 R$1.74

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.28 R$6.37

36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.76 R$8.75

80.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.05 R$5.22

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.83 R$9.09

-28.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.30 R$6.45

6.15%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.93 R$9.58

14.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$7.20 R$35.76

-37.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$2.98 R$14.82

94.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$6.18 R$30.72

45.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.82 R$14.02

-18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.92 R$9.54

-44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.68 R$8.36

-10.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.77 R$8.81

-23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.10 R$5.48

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.24 R$6.14

-5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.01 R$5.00

-17.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.56 R$2.77

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.54 R$12.62

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$10.08 R$50.1

10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$0.84 R$4.19

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.35 R$11.70

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.93 R$4.60

-15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$39.14 R$195

6.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.10 R$5.49

30.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.75 R$3.73

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$9.32 R$46.34

-17.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.03 R$5.12

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.5K R$106.8K

-17.72%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$23.0K R$114.2K

17.62%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$45.43 R$226

79.22%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$8.81 R$43.78

6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$18.12 R$90.1

31.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.90 R$114

12.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.90 R$109

-11.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.76 R$23.64

-14.92%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$505 R$2,510

-38.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$15.2K R$75.8K

-60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$51.4 R$255

14.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$42.06 R$209

-21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$78.9 R$392

27.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$74.4 R$370

42.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$320 R$1,589

53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$215 R$1,071

72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$592 R$2,944

41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$422 R$2,096

69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,636 R$8,132

80.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,078 R$5,359

29.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.56

16.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Avaré: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $320 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $40 in Avaré. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $184, with Avaré cheaper for home cooking.

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 Avaré: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Avaré differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $751 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $1,127 in Avaré 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: $490 in Medellin versus $320 in Avaré. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Avaré runs roughly 7% 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 $505 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $751 in Avaré versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Avaré but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Avaré 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 Avaré gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.