Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cesis Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cesis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,123 in Cesis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,866 in Cesis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,609 in Cesis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 50% more expensive than in Cesis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cesis is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$17.03 €14.84

-52.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$70.1 €61.0

-31.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.70 €8.45

1.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.77 €3.29

-16.98%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.66 €1.45

15.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.19 €1.04

26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$5.69 €4.95

-45.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.75 €4.14

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.16 €1.01

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.54 €1.34

61.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.51 €2.19

-29.48%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.75 €2.40

7.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.73 €9.35

-6.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$8.64 €7.53

17.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.68 €12.79

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.28 €1.98

81.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.91 €1.67

-15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.38 €2.08

-5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$3.07 €2.67

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.89 €0.77

129.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.99 €0.87

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.84 €1.61

-36.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.01 €0.88

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$7.06 €6.15

-44.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.07 €7.03

73.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.78 €1.55

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.05 €1.79

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.51 €3.06

-62.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.05 €0.92

108.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$18.13 €15.80

-51.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.01 €1.75

-31.84%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$27.6K €24.1K

0.73%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.4K €27.4K

13.81%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$375 €327

-52.69%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$21.53 €18.75

-35.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$20.30 €17.68

46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.28 €9.83

-41.05%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$661 €576

23.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$18.1K €15.7K

-49.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$71.1 €61.9

25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$51.2 €44.57

15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$88.4 €77.1

56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$140 €122

-27.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$287 €250

258.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,930 €1,682

-64.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.4

355.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cesis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cesis pays 185% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $70.0 in Cesis. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $268, with Cesis 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 Cesis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 185% lower in Cesis. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $661 in Cesis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Cesis versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cesis 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 Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.