Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avellaneda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avellaneda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $959 in Avellaneda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,563 in Avellaneda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,168 in Avellaneda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than in Avellaneda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Avellaneda 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.30 ARS 15.2K

-40.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$34.16 ARS 50.5K

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$9.10 ARS 13.5K

-19.34%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.75 ARS 4,064

-37.45%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.71 ARS 2,534

-38.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.48 ARS 2,189

-47.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.13 ARS 3,143

-20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.95 ARS 4,359

7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.26 ARS 1,856

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.63 ARS 2,405

-20.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.02 ARS 2,991

-30.69%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.28 ARS 3,370

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.96 ARS 14.7K

-55.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.14 ARS 9,081

-4.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.58 ARS 14.2K

-9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.97 ARS 2,911

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.07 ARS 3,059

-46.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.31 ARS 1,938

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.53 ARS 3,744

-46.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.14 ARS 1,681

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.24 ARS 1,840

-8.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.26 ARS 1,867

-32.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.44 ARS 2,128

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.16 ARS 4,674

-25.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.45 ARS 6,581

177.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.98 ARS 2,925

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.16 ARS 4,674

-21.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.83 ARS 1,222

1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.54 ARS 2,272

-7.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.87 ARS 1,290

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.99 ARS 8,849

27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.07 ARS 1,579

-7.48%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.7K ARS 40.9M

-34.84%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

-12.64%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$66.3 ARS 97.9K

21.96%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

-43.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$22.57 ARS 33.4K

7.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$25.82 ARS 38.2K

-2.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.60 ARS 20.1K

40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.26 ARS 9,258

-36.42%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$218 ARS 321.9K

40.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,717 ARS 4.0M

122.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$72.5 ARS 107.2K

-19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$69.5 ARS 102.8K

-53.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$113 ARS 166.5K

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$111 ARS 164.4K

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$335 ARS 495.4K

42.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$238 ARS 352.2K

57.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$689 ARS 1.0M

22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$548 ARS 809.9K

33.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,282 ARS 3.4M

40.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,539 ARS 2.3M

-10.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Avellaneda: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $335 in Avellaneda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Avellaneda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $229 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 Avellaneda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Avellaneda wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Avellaneda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,438 in Avellaneda 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: $477 in Medellin versus $335 in Avellaneda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $218 in Avellaneda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Avellaneda – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $959 in Avellaneda versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Avellaneda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Avellaneda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Avellaneda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $959 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Avellaneda hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Avellaneda 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 Avellaneda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.