Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenaventura: $1,308 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Buenaventura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Buenaventura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Buenaventura $1,308

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,012 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Buenaventura $2,012

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,716 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Buenaventura $2,716

Medellin costs about 24% more than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Buenaventura is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$7.61 COP 24.1K

9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$42.62 COP 135.1K

10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.41 COP 29.8K

-1.81%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.59 COP 8,225

17.76%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.38 COP 4,370

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.89 COP 2,835

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.14 COP 9,959

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.73 COP 11.8K

49.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.43 COP 4,538

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.41 COP 7,642

-1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.63 COP 5,169

4.29%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.95 COP 9,353

0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.86 COP 24.9K

30.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.62 COP 30.5K

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.27 COP 38.9K

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.47 COP 4,665

4.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.91 COP 6,047

16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.80 COP 5,696

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.49 COP 4,737

33.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.48 COP 4,694

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.19 COP 3,758

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.20 COP 3,811

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.95 COP 12.5K

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.14 COP 41.7K

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.41 COP 4,474

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.38 COP 7,555

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.09 COP 3,450

13.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.60 COP 5,079

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.04 COP 6,457

5.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$9.02 COP 28.6K

-7.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.29 COP 4,080

4.65%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$24.7K COP 78.5M

40.50%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$35.4K COP 112.2M

-1.96%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$126 COP 399.9K

32.13%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$13.14 COP 41.7K

3.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$29.17 COP 92.5K

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$38.15 COP 120.9K

18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.50 COP 20.6K

7.23%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$630 COP 2.0M

25.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,516 COP 23.8M

20.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$84.9 COP 269.2K

3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$54.4 COP 172.5K

6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$139 COP 440.5K

0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$103 COP 328.1K

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$653 COP 2.1M

57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$475 COP 1.5M

30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$997 COP 3.2M

88.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$875 COP 2.8M

15.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,966 COP 6.2M

102.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,628 COP 5.2M

4.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Buenaventura

$475 36.3% 23.3% $145

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Buenaventura

$273 20.9% 8.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Buenaventura

$168 12.9% 19.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Buenaventura

$172 13.1% 0.5% $0.9

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Buenaventura

$153 11.7% 10.7% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2% 83% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Buenaventura

$51 3.9% 13.3% $7.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $653 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $273 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

365,607

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,625 in Medellin, $1,308 in Buenaventura – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,962 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $1,308, than in Medellin at $1,625. 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 $1,308 in Buenaventura to $1,625 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.