Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curepe Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curepe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in Curepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,381 in Curepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,392 in Curepe, rent included.

Medellin costs about 20% more than Curepe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Curepe is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.36 TTD 69.8

-22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$86.8 TTD 585

-44.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.08 TTD 61.2

3.74%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$3.61 TTD 24.36

-18.56%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.04 TTD 6.99

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.78 TTD 5.23

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$2.19 TTD 14.75

46.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.58 TTD 24.14

59.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.49 TTD 16.82

-42.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$2.54 TTD 17.11

-5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.88 TTD 19.41

-40.97%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$4.42 TTD 29.79

-34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$6.56 TTD 44.22

53.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.17 TTD 68.6

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.42 TTD 77.0

24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$5.67 TTD 38.25

-29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$3.01 TTD 20.31

-47.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$3.73 TTD 25.11

-42.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$4.41 TTD 29.72

-47.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$2.21 TTD 14.90

-9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.91 TTD 12.88

-20.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.90 TTD 12.78

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$1.41 TTD 9.49

-9.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.03 TTD 40.63

-36.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$19.54 TTD 132

-28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$2.30 TTD 15.48

-25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$3.05 TTD 20.54

-10.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.61 TTD 4.09

104.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.04 TTD 7.02

25.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$1.27 TTD 8.53

70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$14.98 TTD 101

-44.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.17 TTD 7.88

16.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$37.5K TTD 252.7K

-26.71%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$41.5K TTD 279.4K

-11.85%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$89.5 TTD 604

88.47%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$51.5 TTD 347

-73.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$57.0 TTD 384

-50.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.72 TTD 58.8

-23.74%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$392 TTD 2,640

105.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.6K TTD 71.8K

-13.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$55.4 TTD 374

57.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$52.2 TTD 352

13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$148 TTD 996

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$104 TTD 702

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$741 TTD 4,994

44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$437 TTD 2,949

49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,475 TTD 9,941

30.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,113 TTD 7,503

-5.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$515 TTD 3,472

27.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.75

90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Curepe: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $741 in Curepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $87.0 in Curepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $359 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Curepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $1,369 in Curepe – roughly 20% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,054 in Curepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Curepe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $87.0 in Curepe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Curepe, where all-in costs run around $1,369, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Curepe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,369 in Curepe to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Curepe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.