Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Erdenet Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Erdenet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $615 in Erdenet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $862 in Erdenet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,110 in Erdenet.

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than Erdenet, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Erdenet 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.05 MNT 14.5K

47.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$29.03 MNT 103.8K

13.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.34 MNT 15.5K

63.36%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.59 MNT 5,696

7.55%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.69 MNT 2,467

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.39 MNT 1,407

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.23 MNT 4,393

36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.32 MNT 4,735

132.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.00 MNT 3,576

9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.72 MNT 2,586

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.80 MNT 6,419

-23.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.13 MNT 7,621

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.84 MNT 35.2K

-55.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.06 MNT 18.1K

11.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$3.97 MNT 14.2K

123.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.46 MNT 8,803

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.03 MNT 7,248

-47.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.62 MNT 9,373

-42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.06 MNT 7,359

-33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.76 MNT 2,730

51.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.94 MNT 3,351

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.90 MNT 3,229

-1.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.68 MNT 2,442

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.00 MNT 10.7K

-24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.74 MNT 20.5K

85.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.16 MNT 4,144

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.36 MNT 4,864

81.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.10 MNT 359

760.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$4.68 MNT 16.7K

784.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.43 MNT 1,525

241.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.68 MNT 2,446

188.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.33 MNT 19.1K

45.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.88 MNT 3,131

7.95%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$12.6K MNT 44.9M

44.35%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$10.5K MNT 37.6M

152.03%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$63.4 MNT 226.6K

29.81%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$2.86 MNT 10.2K

232.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$14.88 MNT 53.2K

62.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$24.77 MNT 88.6K

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.36 MNT 15.6K

335.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.72 MNT 9,738

44.49%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$195 MNT 696.1K

58.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,663 MNT 9.5M

123.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$29.04 MNT 103.8K

102.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$29.89 MNT 106.9K

8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$90.1 MNT 322.0K

13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$89.3 MNT 319.1K

21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$180 MNT 642.5K

165.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$135 MNT 482.5K

180.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$596 MNT 2.1M

40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$221 MNT 790.1K

131.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $180 in Erdenet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $181 per month, with Erdenet 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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Erdenet differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $615 including rent). Erdenet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 132% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $180 in Erdenet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $195 in Erdenet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $615 in Erdenet versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Erdenet but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Erdenet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Erdenet 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 Erdenet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.