Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Boca del Rio Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Boca del Rio

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,221 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,938 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,655 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Boca del Rio, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Boca del Rio is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.79 MX$202

-31.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$47.05 MX$808

1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$8.78 MX$151

12.64%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.77 MX$64.7

-16.98%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.49 MX$25.58

28.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.16 MX$19.97

30.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.97 MX$50.9

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.41 MX$75.8

30.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.88 MX$32.22

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.81 MX$48.30

-11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.88 MX$32.29

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.31 MX$39.72

28.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.68 MX$149

16.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$9.56 MX$164

5.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.07 MX$190

29.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.78 MX$47.64

48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.65 MX$28.37

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.94 MX$33.31

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.63 MX$27.99

38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.79 MX$30.80

13.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.11 MX$36.23

-27.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.41 MX$24.17

-17.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.20 MX$20.64

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.94 MX$84.7

-21.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$12.03 MX$206

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.05 MX$35.18

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.27 MX$56.2

-12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.63 MX$10.76

93.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.42 MX$41.47

-45.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.85 MX$31.75

18.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$10.45 MX$179

-16.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.51 MX$26.00

-9.27%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.5K MX$386.7K

23.57%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.5K MX$438.3K

40.11%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$53.3 MX$914

232.83%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.26 MX$434

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.25 MX$468

9.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$40.70 MX$699

10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$18.54 MX$318

-7.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.91 MX$101

12.52%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$246 MX$4,223

230.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,926 MX$84.5K

86.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$62.2 MX$1,068

43.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$48.23 MX$828

22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$95.2 MX$1,634

45.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$81.5 MX$1,399

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$740 MX$12.7K

43.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$452 MX$7,760

46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,224 MX$21.0K

54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$796 MX$13.7K

29.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,977 MX$33.9K

111.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,284 MX$22.0K

30.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $740 in Boca del Rio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Boca del Rio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $281 – making Boca del Rio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $1,221 in Boca del Rio – roughly 38% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,831 in Boca del Rio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boca del Rio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,221 in Boca del Rio. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $246 in Boca del Rio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Boca del Rio, where all-in costs run around $1,221, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Boca del Rio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Boca del Rio to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Boca del Rio. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.