Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dilijan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dilijan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,269 in Dilijan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,081 in Dilijan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,894 in Dilijan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than in Dilijan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Dilijan is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.24 ֏4,078

-28.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$42.02 ֏15.2K

13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$10.74 ֏3,899

-7.91%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.74 ֏994

14.23%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.20 ֏436

59.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.67 ֏244

125.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.19 ֏794

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.74 ֏995

109.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.65 ֏598

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.95 ֏343

162.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.18 ֏792

-18.81%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.85 ֏1,034

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.08 ֏2,933

24.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.70 ֏2,794

31.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.93 ֏5,056

2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.47 ֏533

181.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.70 ֏617

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.94 ֏704

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.36 ֏855

-4.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.67 ֏242

204.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.64 ֏232

140.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.98 ֏356

19.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.74 ֏267

77.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.83 ֏1,026

37.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.86 ֏3,941

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.49 ֏540

16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.00 ֏725

43.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.29 ֏106

320.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.40 ֏506

-6.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.57 ֏207

284.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$13.09 ֏4,751

-33.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.56 ֏567

-12.18%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$35.4K ֏12.9M

-21.40%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$33.7K ֏12.2M

6.16%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$123 ֏44.5K

44.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.93 ֏2,879

75.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$21.68 ֏7,867

37.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$97.1 ֏35.2K

-53.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.69 ֏977

147.21%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$166 ֏60.4K

388.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$9,988 ֏3.6M

-8.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$102 ֏37.2K

-12.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$57.2 ֏20.8K

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$135 ֏48.9K

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$164 ֏59.5K

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$575 ֏208.7K

84.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$383 ֏139.0K

73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,051 ֏381.4K

79.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$884 ֏320.9K

16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$696 ֏252.6K

-2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.04

-22.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Dilijan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $575 in Dilijan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dilijan pays 3% 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 $42.00 in Dilijan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $237 per month, with Dilijan 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 Dilijan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Dilijan differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,269 including rent). Dilijan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Dilijan. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $575 in Dilijan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,269 in Dilijan – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,269 in Dilijan versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dilijan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dilijan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Dilijan 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 Dilijan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.