Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cimislia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cimislia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $846 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,264 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,683 in Cimislia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 22% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cimislia 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$6.91 MDL 119

-13.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$23.31 MDL 403

40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$7.73 MDL 134

-4.01%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.76 MDL 30.42

-6.25%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.97 MDL 16.74

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.70 MDL 12.03

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.15 MDL 19.88

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.40 MDL 41.55

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.07 MDL 18.46

-1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.40 MDL 6.88

227.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.51 MDL 26.09

-11.26%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.08 MDL 35.93

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$8.80 MDL 152

-49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$4.04 MDL 69.8

40.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$9.01 MDL 156

-5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$0.57 MDL 9.82

310.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.74 MDL 30.06

-36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.47 MDL 25.41

3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$2.04 MDL 35.21

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.60 MDL 10.35

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.59 MDL 10.25

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$1.29 MDL 22.30

-34.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.89 MDL 15.40

-3.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.17 MDL 54.7

-28.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$4.50 MDL 77.7

157.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.18 MDL 20.47

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.89 MDL 32.70

31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.30 MDL 5.19

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.99 MDL 34.44

-26.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.27 MDL 4.69

611.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$5.41 MDL 93.6

43.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.39 MDL 23.99

-27.34%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$32.2K MDL 555.7K

-45.09%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$30.7K MDL 530.3K

-13.80%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$173 MDL 2,998

-53.25%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$7.71 MDL 133

22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$10.98 MDL 190

117.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$17.41 MDL 301

49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$7.56 MDL 131

-45.90%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$395 MDL 6,832

-20.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$7,495 MDL 129.5K

-19.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$66.9 MDL 1,155

-10.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$52.9 MDL 915

-39.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$114 MDL 1,978

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$123 MDL 2,128

-14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$235 MDL 4,057

106.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$173 MDL 2,989

111.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$346 MDL 5,978

138.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$286 MDL 4,941

155.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$749 MDL 12.9K

299.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$687 MDL 11.9K

91.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$425 MDL 7,345

29.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.24

45.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $235 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 30% 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 $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $170 per month, with Cimislia 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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $235 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $846 in Cimislia – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Cimislia versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.