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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $797 in Avaré.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,364 in Avaré.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,931 in Avaré.

Living in Medellin is roughly 111% more expensive than in Avaré, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Avaré is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.79 R$19.49

111.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$48.24 R$248

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.89 R$25.17

102.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.94 R$9.97

61.34%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.59 R$3.04

223.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.37 R$1.92

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.38 R$7.08

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.89 R$9.73

204.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.16 R$5.96

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.86 R$9.57

33.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.34 R$6.90

32.09%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.16 R$11.12

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.52 R$38.66

33.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.40 R$17.51

197.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.91 R$35.53

106.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.66 R$13.68

55.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.77 R$9.09

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.61 R$8.28

39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.81 R$9.30

24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.19 R$6.14

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.20 R$6.16

28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.19 R$6.11

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.55 R$2.85

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.85 R$14.67

36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$9.78 R$50.3

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$0.86 R$4.41

102.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.56 R$13.16

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.93 R$4.78

31.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$46.23 R$238

74.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.80 R$9.24

-27.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.94 R$4.83

132.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$10.10 R$51.9

-13.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.09 R$5.58

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.9K R$117.9K

21.43%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$24.9K R$128.2K

43.45%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$47.98 R$247

269.53%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.70 R$49.89

43.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$19.82 R$102

49.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$25.32 R$130

77.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$26.84 R$138

-36.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.93 R$25.33

34.89%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$511 R$2,629

58.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$15.4K R$79.4K

-40.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$65.5 R$337

36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$62.0 R$319

-4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$97.3 R$500

41.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$86.9 R$447

17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$347 R$1,783

206.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$214 R$1,101

209.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$674 R$3,465

180.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$497 R$2,553

106.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,448 R$7,447

188.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,108 R$5,695

51.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.04

-9.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Avaré: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $347 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $48.00 in Avaré. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $190, 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 111% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $797 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,196 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $347 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 74% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $511 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $797 in Avaré versus $1,681 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 111% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.