Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,140 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,856 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,572 in Centurion.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 11% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Centurion 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.47 R 169

-43.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$34.04 R 550

-2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.63 R 74.9

56.16%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.08 R 33.63

-21.63%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.98 R 15.85

11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.82 R 13.32

-10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.21 R 35.75

-21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.54 R 41.14

27.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.20 R 19.44

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.03 R 16.60

25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.72 R 27.84

-23.26%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.52 R 40.80

-9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.22 R 133

-47.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.82 R 78.0

21.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.68 R 108

28.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.66 R 26.87

35.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.49 R 24.07

-28.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.61 R 26.09

-5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.62 R 26.14

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.33 R 21.47

-12.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.44 R 23.35

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.09 R 17.66

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.07 R 17.34

-15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.13 R 50.7

-28.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.22 R 101

77.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.49 R 24.17

-23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.72 R 27.78

38.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$2.18 R 35.20

-61.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$89.6 R 1,448

-53.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.09 R 17.59

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.05 R 17.03

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$4.09 R 66.2

89.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.31 R 21.14

-22.90%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$22.3K R 360.1K

-21.08%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.5K R 379.6K

12.83%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$117 R 1,897

-28.67%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$36.72 R 594

-74.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$41.60 R 673

-42.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$42.24 R 683

-40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$0.94 R 15.15

1936.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.67 R 124

-46.54%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$204 R 3,302

52.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,343 R 70.2K

37.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$50.5 R 817

14.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$32.93 R 532

-1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$88.4 R 1,429

12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$88.9 R 1,437

22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$315 R 5,088

53.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$326 R 5,277

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$530 R 8,571

57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$810 R 13.1K

-10.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$519 R 8,390

447.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$578 R 9,338

111.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,128 R 34.4K

-74.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.69

14.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Centurion: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $315 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 293% 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 $34.00 in Centurion. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $187, with Centurion cheaper for home cooking.

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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Centurion earns 293% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $315 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 114% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $204 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,140 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Centurion. 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 $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Centurion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.