Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Viejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Viejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $787 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,230 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,672 in El Viejo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 108% more expensive than in El Viejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, El Viejo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.08 NIO 369

-20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.61 NIO 1,377

28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.65 NIO 280

23.14%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.59 NIO 94.7

13.51%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.88 NIO 32.11

111.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.67 NIO 24.54

117.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.41 NIO 51.8

127.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.01 NIO 73.8

184.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.28 NIO 46.77

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.38 NIO 87.3

0.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.73 NIO 63.3

-1.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.31 NIO 84.5

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.63 NIO 426

-13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.57 NIO 241

51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.25 NIO 265

95.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.74 NIO 137

6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.63 NIO 22.99

150.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.82 NIO 66.6

18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.29 NIO 83.8

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$3.83 NIO 140

-47.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.18 NIO 79.7

-30.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.04 NIO 37.94

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.08 NIO 39.39

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.59 NIO 94.8

48.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.49 NIO 531

-3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.43 NIO 52.4

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.34 NIO 85.8

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.66 NIO 60.8

-21.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.60 NIO 58.7

35.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.86 NIO 251

20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.30 NIO 47.64

4.62%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.7K NIO 830.4K

21.17%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.2K NIO 960.7K

39.29%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$120 NIO 4,409

40.14%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$16.95 NIO 621

-19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$37.01 NIO 1,355

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.38 NIO 307

-20.64%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$234 NIO 8,563

243.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,014 NIO 220.3K

52.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$70.5 NIO 2,581

23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$72.2 NIO 2,646

-17.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$132 NIO 4,820

5.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$107 NIO 3,927

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.25

6.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in El Viejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $257 per month, with El Viejo 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 El Viejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Viejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,181 in El Viejo 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $234 in El Viejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Viejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in El Viejo versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Viejo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Viejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Viejo 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 El Viejo 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 El Viejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.