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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $829 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,181 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,533 in Cimislia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 103% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cimislia is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$7.00 MDL 119

12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$22.93 MDL 389

94.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$10.74 MDL 182

-13.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$1.72 MDL 29.13

68.60%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.11 MDL 18.77

63.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.71 MDL 12.08

118.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$1.18 MDL 19.97

175.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.35 MDL 39.87

150.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.07 MDL 18.22

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.43 MDL 7.25

469.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.66 MDL 28.21

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.14 MDL 36.26

29.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$6.97 MDL 118

29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.13 MDL 70.1

157.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$6.55 MDL 111

123.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$0.56 MDL 9.48

608.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$2.32 MDL 39.34

-40.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.44 MDL 24.41

59.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.03 MDL 34.43

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.59 MDL 10.02

254.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.51 MDL 8.61

219.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.46 MDL 7.80

134.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.55 MDL 9.38

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.36 MDL 57.1

19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$4.54 MDL 77.1

196.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.14 MDL 19.29

40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.00 MDL 33.99

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.28 MDL 4.69

321.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$2.87 MDL 48.76

-43.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.25 MDL 4.22

752.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$5.85 MDL 99.3

45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.42 MDL 24.07

-4.93%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$35.5K MDL 603.5K

-20.31%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$24.9K MDL 423.1K

43.23%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$237 MDL 4,018

-36.03%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$8.29 MDL 141

58.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$11.77 MDL 200

174.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$17.16 MDL 291

169.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.63 MDL 130

-15.73%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$115 MDL 1,960

623.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$5,438 MDL 92.3K

63.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$46.85 MDL 795

90.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$57.7 MDL 979

136.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$51.8 MDL 879

111.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$228 MDL 3,864

318.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$174 MDL 2,963

282.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$349 MDL 5,931

478.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$287 MDL 4,880

299.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$744 MDL 12.6K

396.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$705 MDL 12.0K

124.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$435 MDL 7,384

43.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

30.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $228 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% 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: $45.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $154 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 103% 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 44% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $228 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $829 in Cimislia – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $829 in Cimislia versus $1,687 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 $829 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 103% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.