Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Envigado Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Envigado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,320 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,074 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,829 in Envigado.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than in Envigado, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Envigado is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$7.59 COP 23.6K

5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$41.92 COP 130.1K

15.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$9.79 COP 30.4K

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.65 COP 8,229

10.94%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$1.31 COP 4,083

41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.94 COP 2,908

55.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$2.56 COP 7,948

25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$3.71 COP 11.5K

53.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.48 COP 4,589

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$2.40 COP 7,438

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$1.59 COP 4,937

6.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$2.95 COP 9,156

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$7.17 COP 22.3K

40.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$9.47 COP 29.4K

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$12.95 COP 40.2K

9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$3.47 COP 10.8K

14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.38 COP 4,292

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.71 COP 5,303

25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.84 COP 5,701

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.64 COP 5,080

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.49 COP 4,626

1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.21 COP 3,752

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$1.20 COP 3,727

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$4.23 COP 13.1K

-9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$12.60 COP 39.1K

11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.43 COP 4,433

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.73 COP 8,467

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$1.15 COP 3,555

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$1.63 COP 5,068

-19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$2.02 COP 6,287

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$7.90 COP 24.5K

4.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.31 COP 4,075

3.82%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$25.9K COP 80.3M

6.22%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$36.1K COP 112.0M

1.33%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$141 COP 437.7K

19.68%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$14.69 COP 45.6K

-7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$33.50 COP 104.0K

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$35.35 COP 109.7K

29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$7.17 COP 22.3K

-7.25%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$700 COP 2.2M

14.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,296 COP 22.7M

25.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$84.4 COP 262.1K

3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$60.7 COP 188.5K

-2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$136 COP 422.2K

2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$90.3 COP 280.5K

12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$782 COP 2.4M

36.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$515 COP 1.6M

26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$1,002 COP 3.1M

92.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$993 COP 3.1M

5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,039 COP 6.3M

102.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,822 COP 5.7M

-6.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Envigado: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $782 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $271 per month, with Envigado 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 Envigado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Envigado wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Envigado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,980 in Envigado 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $782 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $700 in Envigado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Envigado – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,320 in Envigado versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Envigado but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Envigado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Envigado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,320 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Envigado hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Envigado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.