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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $818 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,251 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,683 in Envigado.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Envigado 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$3.92 COP 12.6K

51.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.6K

$24.07 COP 77.4K

37.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$7.32 COP 23.6K

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,487

$1.56 COP 5,026

9.62%

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

$1.05 COP 3,374

$0.87 COP 2,813

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,324

$0.57 COP 1,820

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,531

$1.15 COP 3,701

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.17 COP 6,976

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$1.18 COP 3,792

-10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,215

$1.24 COP 3,989

5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,279

$1.19 COP 3,825

11.76%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,338

$2.16 COP 6,956

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$4.45 COP 14.3K

-0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$5.15 COP 16.6K

14.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$7.21 COP 23.2K

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,545

$2.54 COP 8,188

-7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,546

$1.11 COP 3,565

-0.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,724

$1.36 COP 4,370

8.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,439

$0.87 COP 2,796

58.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.16 COP 3,745

0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,765

$1.13 COP 3,629

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,905

$0.88 COP 2,828

2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,708

$0.70 COP 2,257

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,490

$2.37 COP 7,636

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$10.60 COP 34.1K

12.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,693

$1.13 COP 3,631

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,791

$1.76 COP 5,667

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$0.71 COP 2,286

18.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.4K

$30.06 COP 96.7K

35.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,541

$1.43 COP 4,601

-1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,160

$1.71 COP 5,511

11.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$6.04 COP 19.4K

29.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,037

$0.86 COP 2,780

9.30%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$18.2K COP 58.6M

-2.18%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$25.1K COP 80.8M

7.82%

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

$83.3 COP 267.9K

$96.6 COP 310.7K

-13.76%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$11.30 COP 36.4K

-14.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$25.91 COP 83.4K

-6.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.2K

$23.77 COP 76.5K

6.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$3.96 COP 12.7K

2.78%

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

$307 COP 986.5K

$237 COP 762.6K

29.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$5,842 COP 18.8M

2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.9K

$60.1 COP 193.3K

-0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.1K

$33.22 COP 106.9K

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.2K

$83.5 COP 268.6K

21.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.6K

$73.6 COP 236.9K

46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$264 COP 850.7K

80.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$235 COP 757.2K

60.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$667 COP 2.1M

22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$428 COP 1.4M

65.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$1,125 COP 3.6M

183.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$1,756 COP 5.6M

-17.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Envigado: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $264 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 $192 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 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 $1,527 in Medellin and $1,227 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: $476 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 $818 in Envigado versus $1,018 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 $818 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.