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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $952 in Avellaneda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,568 in Avellaneda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,183 in Avellaneda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than Avellaneda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Avellaneda 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.57 ARS 15.2K

-43.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$34.07 ARS 49.0K

-3.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.24 ARS 13.3K

-23.27%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.68 ARS 3,858

-36.19%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.67 ARS 2,395

-34.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.57 ARS 2,252

-50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.09 ARS 3,009

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.04 ARS 4,371

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.25 ARS 1,792

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.63 ARS 2,351

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.05 ARS 2,946

-32.68%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.17 ARS 3,122

0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.26 ARS 14.8K

-57.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.37 ARS 9,161

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.63 ARS 13.8K

-7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.95 ARS 2,804

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.08 ARS 2,987

-49.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.32 ARS 1,904

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$2.65 ARS 3,812

-47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.14 ARS 1,644

0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.26 ARS 1,806

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.26 ARS 1,810

-29.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.48 ARS 2,136

-43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.10 ARS 4,457

-26.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.44 ARS 7,823

95.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.98 ARS 2,849

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.02 ARS 4,340

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.76 ARS 1,094

13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.52 ARS 2,183

-3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.93 ARS 1,341

110.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.90 ARS 8,483

31.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.06 ARS 1,530

-10.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$27.2K ARS 39.1M

-33.28%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$30.5K ARS 43.9M

-13.15%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$67.7 ARS 97.4K

21.53%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.08 ARS 24.6K

-44.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$22.14 ARS 31.9K

9.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$25.99 ARS 37.4K

-0.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.96 ARS 20.1K

36.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.12 ARS 8,797

-35.78%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$218 ARS 313.4K

42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,718 ARS 3.9M

119.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$72.7 ARS 104.6K

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$69.1 ARS 99.4K

-53.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$115 ARS 165.6K

-10.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$110 ARS 158.7K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$344 ARS 494.9K

38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$240 ARS 345.8K

57.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$689 ARS 991.8K

21.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$546 ARS 785.2K

32.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,858 ARS 2.7M

50.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Avellaneda: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $344 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 $188 vs $234 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 6% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,428 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: $476 in Medellin versus $344 in Avellaneda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 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 $952 in Avellaneda versus $1,013 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 $952 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 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.