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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $839 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,238 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,638 in Envigado.

Living in Medellin is roughly 21% more expensive than Envigado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Envigado 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 21.2K

$4.03 COP 14.4K

47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 118.9K

$23.83 COP 85.0K

39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.8K

$7.45 COP 26.6K

-2.95%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,811

$1.51 COP 5,396

7.95%

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

$1.09 COP 3,904

$0.87 COP 3,096

25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,604

$0.62 COP 2,197

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,197

$1.21 COP 4,308

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.5K

$2.17 COP 7,729

48.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,742

$1.13 COP 4,029

-7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,614

$1.28 COP 4,550

0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,718

$1.15 COP 4,086

14.78%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 8,101

$2.23 COP 7,938

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.5K

$4.38 COP 15.6K

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 21.0K

$5.34 COP 19.0K

10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.7K

$7.28 COP 26.0K

18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 8,015

$2.55 COP 9,077

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,814

$1.07 COP 3,832

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,438

$1.29 COP 4,614

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 5,073

$0.92 COP 3,289

54.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,173

$1.12 COP 3,980

4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,166

$1.17 COP 4,178

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,163

$0.83 COP 2,957

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,215

$0.69 COP 2,461

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 8,008

$2.30 COP 8,207

-2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 39.4K

$10.94 COP 39.0K

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,063

$1.13 COP 4,038

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,483

$1.71 COP 6,084

39.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,979

$0.68 COP 2,436

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

$29.57 COP 105.5K

41.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,019

$1.47 COP 5,233

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,779

$1.70 COP 6,067

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.6K

$5.99 COP 21.3K

29.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,586

$0.80 COP 2,852

26.25%

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

$17.6K COP 62.7M

$17.9K COP 63.8M

-1.66%

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

$26.5K COP 94.5M

$25.5K COP 91.1M

3.77%

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

$83.7 COP 298.4K

$97.4 COP 347.5K

-14.11%

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

$9.45 COP 33.7K

$11.29 COP 40.3K

-16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 86.0K

$25.18 COP 89.8K

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.3K

$23.08 COP 82.3K

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.6K

$4.02 COP 14.4K

1.99%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$242 COP 862.5K

28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 21.4M

$5,920 COP 21.1M

1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 207.0K

$59.9 COP 213.6K

-3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 116.1K

$32.31 COP 115.2K

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 355.3K

$84.6 COP 301.5K

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 387.1K

$72.3 COP 257.7K

50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$266 COP 948.3K

81.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$241 COP 858.8K

57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 3.0M

$660 COP 2.4M

26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

$433 COP 1.5M

66.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

$1,620 COP 5.8M

75.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

$1,216 COP 4.3M

0.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Envigado: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $266 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $176 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 21% 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $1,259 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: $482 in Medellin versus $266 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $839 in Envigado versus $1,017 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 $839 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 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.