Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cento Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,682 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,733 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,783 in Cento.

Monthly costs are close between Medellin and Cento; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Cento 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$21.12 €18.38

-62.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$93.9 €81.7

-49.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$12.03 €10.47

-17.79%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.26 €1.97

38.50%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$3.37 €2.94

-43.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$1.66 €1.45

-9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$6.44 €5.60

-51.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$5.80 €5.05

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.42 €1.24

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$2.79 €2.43

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.75 €2.39

-35.64%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$3.99 €3.47

-25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$19.38 €16.86

-48.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$12.83 €11.17

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$17.95 €15.62

-20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.28 €1.98

81.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.70 €1.48

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.94 €1.69

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.61 €2.27

-13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.57 €1.37

29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.40 €1.22

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.70 €1.48

-31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.56 €0.49

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.99 €6.09

-44.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.13 €7.07

72.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.60 €1.40

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.00 €1.74

43.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.72 €1.49

-29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$49.48 €43.06

62.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$4.62 €4.02

-71.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.53 €1.33

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$28.69 €24.97

-69.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$2.13 €1.85

-35.68%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$36.9K €32.2K

-24.66%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$35.7K €31.1K

0.26%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$225 €195

-21.05%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$11.56 €10.06

20.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$28.32 €24.64

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$50.3 €43.74

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$25.02 €21.78

-31.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$10.37 €9.03

-35.87%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$579 €504

40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$4,588 €3,993

100.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$96.7 €84.1

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$43.52 €37.88

35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$103 €89.5

34.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$155 €135

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$557 €485

90.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$465 €405

42.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,102 €959

71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$972 €846

5.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$3,122 €2,717

33.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,998 €1,739

-16.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$1,812 €1,577

-62.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.22

239.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $557 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 167% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $94.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $337 per month, with Medellin 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 167% lower in Cento. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $557 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $579 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $94.0 in Cento. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,682 in Cento, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Cento on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.