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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $835 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,250 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,665 in Envigado.

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than Envigado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Envigado 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$4.04 COP 14.4K

46.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$23.55 COP 84.3K

40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$7.09 COP 25.4K

2.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.51 COP 5,396

13.25%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.92 COP 3,298

18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.62 COP 2,207

24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.19 COP 4,262

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.12 COP 7,584

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.12 COP 3,992

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.29 COP 4,633

0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.18 COP 4,224

16.95%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.14 COP 7,650

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$4.32 COP 15.5K

4.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$5.21 COP 18.6K

11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$7.41 COP 26.5K

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.45 COP 8,766

-6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.08 COP 3,857

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.32 COP 4,717

14.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$0.92 COP 3,307

47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.11 COP 3,967

4.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.13 COP 4,033

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.87 COP 3,131

-4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.65 COP 2,321

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.39 COP 8,553

-1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$10.39 COP 37.2K

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.14 COP 4,068

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$1.73 COP 6,196

42.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.68 COP 2,440

16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$29.54 COP 105.7K

41.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.49 COP 5,324

-3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.72 COP 6,145

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.14 COP 22.0K

25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.80 COP 2,864

28.75%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$17.7K COP 63.5M

-0.27%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$25.4K COP 91.0M

6.28%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$97.7 COP 349.6K

-16.64%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$11.37 COP 40.7K

-17.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$25.80 COP 92.3K

-7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$23.39 COP 83.7K

10.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.04 COP 14.4K

0.25%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$237 COP 848.5K

31.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,021 COP 21.5M

0.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$58.7 COP 210.0K

0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$32.22 COP 115.3K

1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$82.9 COP 296.8K

21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$72.7 COP 260.3K

46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$264 COP 945.1K

85.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$241 COP 862.1K

53.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$642 COP 2.3M

30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$431 COP 1.5M

65.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,652 COP 5.9M

78.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,354 COP 4.8M

2.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

13.18

1.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Envigado: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $264 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $24 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $174 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 23% 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 $1,544 in Medellin and $1,253 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: $490 in Medellin versus $264 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Envigado – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $835 in Envigado versus $1,030 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 $835 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 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.