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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.65 COP 13.0K

64.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$29.25 COP 104.3K

12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.36 COP 26.2K

-3.67%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.61 COP 5,744

6.21%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.94 COP 3,347

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.55 COP 1,975

41.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.06 COP 3,768

58.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.56 COP 9,114

19.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.22 COP 4,340

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.53 COP 5,455

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.21 COP 4,312

14.05%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.46 COP 8,764

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.29 COP 15.3K

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.47 COP 19.5K

2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$7.60 COP 27.1K

16.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.40 COP 8,555

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.97 COP 3,468

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.20 COP 4,266

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.27 COP 4,540

8.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.88 COP 3,142

30.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.11 COP 3,942

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.75 COP 2,675

18.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.65 COP 2,319

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.90 COP 10.3K

-21.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$11.48 COP 40.9K

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.10 COP 3,925

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.84 COP 6,572

34.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.67 COP 2,403

28.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$20.20 COP 72.0K

104.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.54 COP 5,476

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.88 COP 6,696

4.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.80 COP 34.9K

-21.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.93 COP 3,298

2.15%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$21.4K COP 76.2M

-15.22%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$30.3K COP 108.1M

-12.67%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$80.9 COP 288.5K

1.62%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$8.78 COP 31.3K

8.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$23.99 COP 85.5K

1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$19.60 COP 69.9K

32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$14.79 COP 52.7K

28.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.87 COP 17.3K

-19.30%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$226 COP 805.6K

36.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,039 COP 21.5M

-1.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$63.7 COP 227.1K

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$44.16 COP 157.4K

-26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$78.6 COP 280.0K

30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$89.5 COP 319.1K

21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$234 COP 833.3K

103.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$186 COP 664.1K

103.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$609 COP 2.2M

37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$408 COP 1.5M

77.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,101 COP 3.9M

153.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$890 COP 3.2M

36.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$494 COP 1.8M

3.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 4% 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 $188 vs $182 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 4% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $226 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $1,013 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 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.