Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duitama Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duitama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,332 in Duitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,039 in Duitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,746 in Duitama.

Living in Medellin is roughly 26% more expensive than in Duitama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Duitama is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$5.66 COP 17.6K

41.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$32.12 COP 99.8K

49.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$9.49 COP 29.5K

4.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$2.16 COP 6,724

44.91%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$1.43 COP 4,456

33.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$1.07 COP 3,312

41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.67 COP 5,177

86.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.54 COP 7,884

126.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.46 COP 4,527

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.48 COP 4,583

68.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$1.69 COP 5,265

4.73%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$3.14 COP 9,759

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$7.99 COP 24.8K

26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$14.54 COP 45.2K

-30.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$17.63 COP 54.8K

-18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$3.53 COP 11.0K

17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.44 COP 4,474

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$2.19 COP 6,811

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$1.88 COP 5,848

19.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$1.44 COP 4,489

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$1.52 COP 4,732

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.00 COP 3,109

17.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.95 COP 2,948

37.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$4.41 COP 13.7K

-11.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$12.95 COP 40.2K

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.45 COP 4,497

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$1.67 COP 5,196

71.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$1.03 COP 3,215

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$2.91 COP 9,035

-54.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$2.06 COP 6,385

6.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$8.17 COP 25.4K

6.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.34 COP 4,162

2.24%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$27.5K COP 85.5M

1.16%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$34.2K COP 106.1M

4.71%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$175 COP 543.6K

1.34%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$10.85 COP 33.7K

27.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$26.55 COP 82.5K

11.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$33.53 COP 104.2K

33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.60 COP 20.5K

0.76%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$676 COP 2.1M

20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$6,088 COP 18.9M

50.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$54.3 COP 168.6K

64.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$57.3 COP 177.9K

2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$123 COP 381.2K

12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$98.6 COP 306.3K

3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$765 COP 2.4M

38.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$480 COP 1.5M

38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,192 COP 3.7M

58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,030 COP 3.2M

-0.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$1,784 COP 5.5M

134.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,629 COP 5.1M

2.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.4

-11.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Duitama: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $765 in Duitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Duitama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $302 per month, with Duitama 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 Duitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duitama wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duitama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,998 in Duitama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $765 in Duitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $1,332 in Duitama – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,332 in Duitama versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duitama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Duitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duitama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,332 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duitama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Duitama 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 Duitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.