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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $741 in Avaré.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,238 in Avaré.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,735 in Avaré.

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Avaré, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.53 R$18.20

69.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$40.39 R$208

-18.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.56 R$23.51

62.72%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.84 R$9.52

-10.33%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.53 R$2.71

101.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.34 R$1.77

123.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.29 R$6.65

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.79 R$9.23

78.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.01 R$5.23

3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.84 R$9.50

-28.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.29 R$6.67

3.88%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.00 R$10.34

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$6.83 R$35.26

-35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.12 R$16.10

82.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$6.33 R$32.68

34.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.85 R$14.73

-17.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.90 R$9.80

-41.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.68 R$8.65

-9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.77 R$9.13

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.09 R$5.63

5.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.26 R$6.49

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.99 R$5.13

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.56 R$2.91

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.47 R$12.73

-8.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$9.59 R$49.51

20.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.79 R$4.07

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.37 R$12.21

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.92 R$4.76

-14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$38.93 R$201

4.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.06 R$5.45

38.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.74 R$3.83

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$9.34 R$48.20

-16.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$0.94 R$4.87

7.45%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$22.0K R$113.5K

-19.73%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$23.2K R$119.6K

14.16%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$45.82 R$236

77.00%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$9.25 R$47.72

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$17.68 R$91.2

34.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$22.82 R$118

13.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$21.73 R$112

-13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$4.72 R$24.38

-13.35%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$503 R$2,595

-37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$15.3K R$79.1K

-60.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$50.7 R$262

17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$42.69 R$220

-25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$77.8 R$401

30.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$74.1 R$382

41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$321 R$1,658

51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$213 R$1,099

71.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$579 R$2,986

42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$427 R$2,204

71.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,593 R$8,222

87.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,196 R$6,172

9.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Avaré: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $321 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $40.00 in Avaré. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $182, 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $741 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,111 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: $485 in Medellin versus $321 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 5% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $503 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $741 in Avaré versus $1,028 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 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.