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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $743 in Avaré.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,221 in Avaré.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,698 in Avaré.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Avaré, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Avaré 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.56 R$18.04

66.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$39.40 R$200

-16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.53 R$22.97

64.02%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.83 R$9.27

-9.84%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.52 R$2.61

111.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.35 R$1.77

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.29 R$6.54

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.79 R$9.06

77.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.06 R$5.38

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.84 R$9.35

-31.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.31 R$6.67

5.34%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.92 R$9.76

13.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.16 R$36.34

-37.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.11 R$15.77

86.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$6.26 R$31.76

43.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.85 R$14.49

-18.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.93 R$9.81

-45.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.70 R$8.63

-10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.83 R$9.31

-25.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.06 R$5.39

6.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.25 R$6.32

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.01 R$5.10

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.55 R$2.81

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.57 R$13.04

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$9.60 R$48.70

26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.85 R$4.30

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.31 R$11.70

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.92 R$4.65

-7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$38.06 R$193

9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.11 R$5.62

27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.70 R$3.56

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$9.00 R$45.67

-12.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.03 R$5.22

-3.88%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$21.3K R$108.3K

-17.51%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$23.3K R$118.3K

14.94%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$45.23 R$230

83.53%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$8.98 R$45.57

8.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$18.14 R$92.1

29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.54 R$114

12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$21.42 R$109

-10.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.71 R$23.91

-16.14%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$501 R$2,544

-37.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$15.3K R$77.7K

-60.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$51.6 R$262

16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$42.02 R$213

-24.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$78.6 R$399

29.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$74.4 R$377

44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$309 R$1,568

53.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$216 R$1,095

73.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$579 R$2,939

46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$422 R$2,140

70.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,758 R$8,919

85.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,056 R$5,359

36.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Avaré: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $309 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Avaré. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $743 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,115 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: $475 in Medellin versus $309 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 9% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $501 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $743 in Avaré versus $1,003 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 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.