Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avila Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,474 in Avila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,230 in Avila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,986 in Avila.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than in Avila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Avila 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$17.58 €15.33

-54.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$64.0 €55.8

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$11.84 €10.32

-16.47%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.10 €1.83

49.05%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$3.45 €3.00

-44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.90 €1.65

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.51 €3.06

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.76 €4.15

20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.24 €1.08

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.83 €0.72

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.60 €1.39

10.62%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.05 €2.65

-2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$26.81 €23.37

-62.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.46 €3.88

126.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.34 €9.01

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.85 €2.48

45.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.25 €1.09

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.25 €1.96

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$5.07 €4.42

-55.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.14 €1.87

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.90 €1.66

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.31 €1.15

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.59 €0.51

122.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.56 €5.72

-40.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$3.12 €2.72

349.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.08 €0.94

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.31 €2.02

24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.38 €1.20

-11.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$34.88 €30.41

130.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.67 €4.07

-71.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.27 €1.97

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$23.37 €20.38

-62.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.72 €1.50

-20.35%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.4K €31.7K

-23.53%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$30.7K €26.7K

16.66%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$80.1 €69.8

121.38%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.34 €15.11

-19.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$26.51 €23.11

12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$42.44 €36.99

5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$17.03 €14.84

0.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.23 €8.05

-27.95%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$184 €161

341.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,233 €5,434

47.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$74.3 €64.8

20.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$37.10 €32.34

58.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$81.4 €71.0

69.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$101 €87.7

1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$851 €742

24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$609 €531

8.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,046 €912

80.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$798 €696

28.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,456 €2,141

70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,859 €1,620

-9.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,618 €2,282

-74.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.08

255.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Avila: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $851 in Avila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Avila pays 286% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $64.0 in Avila. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $268, with Avila 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 Avila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Avila wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Avila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Avila. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $851 in Avila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,474 in Avila – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Avila runs roughly 131% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,474 in Avila versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Avila but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Avila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Avila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,474 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Avila hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Avila 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 Avila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.