Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cali

😐 Solo nomad: Medellin is 13.3% more expensive than Cali without rent, and 32.6% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Medellin is 14.3% more expensive than Cali without rent, and 24% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.23 COP 26K
$3.65 COP 15.2K
70.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.34 COP 134.8K
$29.31 COP 122.2K
10.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.39 COP 30.8K
$7.44 COP 31K
-0.67%
Cappuccino
$1.72 COP 7,155
$1.56 COP 6,522
10.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.1 COP 4,575
$0.9 COP 3,746
22.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 COP 3,060
$0.56 COP 2,341
30.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.66 COP 6,916
$1.05 COP 4,360
58.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.2 COP 13.3K
$2.56 COP 10.7K
25.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 COP 4,552
$1.22 COP 5,067
-10.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 COP 5,188
$1.52 COP 6,331
-18.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 COP 5,544
$1.26 COP 5,261
5.56%
Eggs
$2.22 COP 9,252
$2.47 COP 10.3K
-10.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.55 COP 19K
$4.32 COP 18K
5.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.71 COP 23.8K
$5.3 COP 22.1K
7.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.59 COP 35.8K
$7.7 COP 32.1K
11.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 COP 9,410
$2.48 COP 10.3K
-8.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 COP 4,461
$0.98 COP 4,101
9.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 COP 6,293
$1.14 COP 4,767
32.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 COP 5,911
$1.27 COP 5,292
11.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 COP 4,619
$0.89 COP 3,699
24.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 COP 4,932
$1.05 COP 4,371
12.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 COP 3,718
$0.75 COP 3,107
18.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 COP 3,507
$0.65 COP 2,722
29.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.35 COP 9,809
$2.92 COP 12.2K
-19.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.34 COP 38.9K
$10.91 COP 45.5K
-14.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 COP 4,927
$1.07 COP 4,466
10.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 COP 10.4K
$1.88 COP 7,856
32.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Cali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 COP 3,464
$0.72 COP 2,987
15.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.9 COP 174.7K
$20.38 COP 84.9K
105.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.41 COP 5,899
$1.56 COP 6,502
-9.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 COP 8,164
$1.91 COP 7,969
2.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.85 COP 32.7K
$9.87 COP 41.1K
-20.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 COP 4,265
$0.99 COP 4,121
3.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K COP 73.4M
$22.2K COP 92.4M
-20.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K COP 109.2M
$29.5K COP 123M
-11.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.5 COP 344.1K
$80.2 COP 334.3K
2.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.44 COP 39.4K
$8.59 COP 35.8K
9.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.51 COP 98K
$24.04 COP 100.2K
-2.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.68 COP 107.1K
$19.75 COP 82.3K
30.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.14 COP 79.8K
$14.26 COP 59.4K
34.22%
Cinema Ticket
$3.96 COP 16.5K
$4.96 COP 20.7K
-20.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$305 COP 1.3M
$224 COP 932.1K
36.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,925 COP 24.7M
$6,064 COP 25.3M
-2.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.9 COP 241.4K
$63.1 COP 263.1K
-8.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.59 COP 131.7K
$43.4 COP 180.9K
-27.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 COP 430.1K
$76.9 COP 320.5K
34.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 COP 440.5K
$88.9 COP 370.5K
18.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Cali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$489 COP 2M
$239 COP 997.9K
104.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$379 COP 1.6M
$189 COP 789K
100.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$827 COP 3.4M
$605 COP 2.5M
36.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$729 COP 3M
$404 COP 1.7M
80.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,190 COP 9.1M
$1,074 COP 4.5M
103.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,532 COP 6.4M
$852 COP 3.6M
79.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Cali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$550 COP 2.3M
$399 COP 1.7M
37.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
11.58
15.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 28, 2025

Last update for Cali: October 28, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.