Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ebene Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ebene

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $714 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,216 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,718 in Ebene.

Living in Medellin is roughly 135% more expensive than in Ebene, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ebene is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.74 MUR 271

39.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$32.23 MUR 1,519

48.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.29 MUR 296

57.23%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.70 MUR 127

15.93%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.90 MUR 42.45

112.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.54 MUR 25.50

179.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.77 MUR 83.3

76.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.56 MUR 121

124.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.47 MUR 69.3

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.75 MUR 35.27

232.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.10 MUR 51.8

60.91%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.20 MUR 104

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.62 MUR 406

16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.50 MUR 307

55.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.52 MUR 496

35.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.81 MUR 85.2

128.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.19 MUR 56.2

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.45 MUR 68.4

55.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.57 MUR 121

-12.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.97 MUR 45.60

110.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.02 MUR 48.25

50.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.69 MUR 32.69

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.52 MUR 24.39

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.59 MUR 263

-30.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.41 MUR 396

66.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.65 MUR 77.8

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.66 MUR 125

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.87 MUR 41.22

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.14 MUR 195

-68.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.10 MUR 146

-29.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$21.19 MUR 999

-58.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.32 MUR 62.2

3.79%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-24.00%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$31.6K MUR 1.5M

13.15%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$45.28 MUR 2,134

291.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.68 MUR 503

29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.17 MUR 1,375

1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$28.29 MUR 1,333

58.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.23 MUR 294

174.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.82 MUR 275

14.26%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$126 MUR 5,956

543.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,564 MUR 356.5K

21.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$44.59 MUR 2,102

100.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$42.23 MUR 1,990

39.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$47.63 MUR 2,245

190.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$47.07 MUR 2,218

116.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$255 MUR 12.0K

315.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$149 MUR 7,028

344.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$577 MUR 27.2K

227.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$429 MUR 20.2K

139.47%

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

$1,181 MUR 55.7K

-42.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ebene: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $255 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 74% 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 $32.00 in Ebene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $205 per month, with Ebene 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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Ebene. 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 $255 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $126 in Ebene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ebene – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Ebene versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ebene but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ebene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ebene is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ebene 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 Ebene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.