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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$3.65 COP 11.9K

68.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$29.20 COP 94.9K

11.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.41 COP 24.1K

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$1.58 COP 5,130

8.86%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$0.95 COP 3,095

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.60 COP 1,940

28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$1.01 COP 3,297

67.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.61 COP 8,484

21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$1.24 COP 4,029

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$1.47 COP 4,770

-11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$1.25 COP 4,076

12.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$2.48 COP 8,065

-12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.33 COP 14.1K

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.36 COP 17.4K

9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.49 COP 24.4K

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$2.49 COP 8,108

-8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$0.92 COP 2,986

20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$1.15 COP 3,749

33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$1.31 COP 4,260

3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$0.89 COP 2,881

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$1.11 COP 3,593

1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$0.75 COP 2,427

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$0.68 COP 2,211

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$2.91 COP 9,454

-19.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$12.88 COP 41.9K

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$1.07 COP 3,478

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$1.86 COP 6,040

33.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.73 COP 2,386

15.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$20.17 COP 65.6K

101.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$1.55 COP 5,043

-8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$1.90 COP 6,171

1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$9.45 COP 30.7K

-18.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$0.98 COP 3,190

1.02%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$21.9K COP 71.3M

-17.79%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$29.6K COP 96.2M

-10.03%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$83.3 COP 270.9K

-3.01%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$8.94 COP 29.1K

11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$24.55 COP 79.8K

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$19.79 COP 64.3K

26.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.72 COP 47.9K

30.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.88 COP 15.9K

-18.44%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$222 COP 720.7K

37.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,871 COP 19.1M

3.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$64.0 COP 208.1K

-9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$43.51 COP 141.5K

-25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$76.3 COP 248.1K

32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$89.5 COP 291.1K

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$241 COP 783.0K

97.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$188 COP 611.5K

99.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$615 COP 2.0M

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$398 COP 1.3M

83.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,258 COP 4.1M

155.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$990 COP 3.2M

38.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$554 COP 1.8M

11.36%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $184 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.