Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Esmeraldas Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Esmeraldas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $921 in Esmeraldas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,395 in Esmeraldas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,869 in Esmeraldas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than Esmeraldas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Esmeraldas 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.03 $4.03

46.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$32.89 $32.89

-0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.10 $4.10

75.61%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.89 $2.89

-41.18%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.52 $0.52

111.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.52 $0.52

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.97 $1.97

-15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.91 $3.91

-20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.99 $0.99

7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.56 $1.56

-19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.83 $1.83

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.46 $1.46

54.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.58 $8.58

-49.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.74 $7.74

-24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.38 $8.38

5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.99 $1.99

12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.20 $1.20

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.08 $1.08

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.33 $1.33

3.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.39 $1.39

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.10 $1.10

1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.51 $0.51

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.01 $1.01

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$5.92 $5.92

-60.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$10.15 $10.15

9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.60 $1.60

-25.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.97 $2.97

-20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.34 $0.34

132.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$24.38 $24.38

68.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.52 $1.52

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.22 $1.22

56.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$10.18 $10.18

-21.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.66 $0.66

42.42%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.9K $19.9K

-10.14%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$25.0K $25.0K

7.01%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$34.28 $34.28

144.92%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$14.31 $14.31

-32.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$29.37 $29.37

-17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$30.34 $30.34

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$14.67 $14.67

29.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.15 $7.15

-45.17%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$278 $278

10.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$8,755 $8,755

-32.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$56.8 $56.8

1.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$42.91 $42.91

-25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$99.1 $99.1

0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$86.8 $86.8

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$336 $336

45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$317 $317

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$622 $622

32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$495 $495

44.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,238 $1,238

136.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$780 $780

80.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$441 $441

23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.19

20.02%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Esmeraldas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $336 in Esmeraldas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% 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 $33.00 in Esmeraldas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $211 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Medellin vs Esmeraldas: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Esmeraldas is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 24% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $336 in Esmeraldas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

At $921 in Esmeraldas versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Esmeraldas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Esmeraldas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Esmeraldas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Esmeraldas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.