Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buenaventura Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buenaventura

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,288 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,054 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,820 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Medellin costs about 33% more than Buenaventura, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Buenaventura is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.0K

$7.69 COP 24.0K

4.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.6K

$46.60 COP 145.4K

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$8.83 COP 27.6K

10.65%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,085

$2.32 COP 7,252

25.43%

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

$1.94 COP 6,067

$1.48 COP 4,620

31.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,749

$0.98 COP 3,066

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,653

$2.32 COP 7,226

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.62 COP 11.3K

58.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,257

$1.42 COP 4,439

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,452

$2.71 COP 8,459

-11.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,308

$1.81 COP 5,644

-6.08%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,957

$2.77 COP 8,649

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.0K

$7.55 COP 23.6K

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$10.63 COP 33.2K

1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$13.54 COP 42.3K

8.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.10 COP 9,676

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,906

$1.32 COP 4,130

18.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,635

$2.15 COP 6,723

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,910

$1.96 COP 6,106

12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,389

$1.43 COP 4,452

43.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,695

$1.49 COP 4,655

0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,714

$1.27 COP 3,977

-6.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,615

$0.99 COP 3,102

17.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.47 COP 14.0K

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$15.59 COP 48.7K

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,943

$1.61 COP 5,033

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,826

$3.13 COP 9,759

-9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,646

$1.22 COP 3,814

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,009

$1.54 COP 4,797

-16.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,530

$2.42 COP 7,567

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$8.84 COP 27.6K

-2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,052

$1.50 COP 4,694

-13.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.3M

$26.7K COP 83.3M

3.63%

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

$35.5K COP 110.8M

$39.5K COP 123.4M

-10.17%

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

$176 COP 549.6K

$117 COP 365.4K

50.38%

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

$13.37 COP 41.7K

$12.98 COP 40.5K

3.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.3K

$32.02 COP 99.9K

-6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.7K

$32.99 COP 103.0K

35.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.25 COP 19.5K

-0.80%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$571 COP 1.8M

38.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,325 COP 19.7M

42.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.2K

$84.2 COP 262.9K

1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.5K

$58.7 COP 183.2K

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.4K

$144 COP 449.9K

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 321.8K

$94.5 COP 294.8K

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$773 COP 2.4M

37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$507 COP 1.6M

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,174 COP 3.7M

71.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.6M

$877 COP 2.7M

33.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,059 COP 6.4M

99.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,447 COP 4.5M

17.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $773 in Buenaventura. 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 Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $288 – making Buenaventura 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 Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,716 in Medellin, $1,288 in Buenaventura – roughly 33% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,932 in Buenaventura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $47.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenaventura, where all-in costs run around $1,288, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Buenaventura 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 $1,288 in Buenaventura to $1,716 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Buenaventura. 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.