Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Esmeraldas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Esmeraldas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $800 in Esmeraldas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,376 in Esmeraldas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,952 in Esmeraldas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 110% more expensive than in Esmeraldas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Esmeraldas is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.90 $3.90

105.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$53.7 $53.7

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.90 $3.90

153.59%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.41 $3.41

-8.21%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.51 $0.51

274.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.49 $0.49

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.55 $3.55

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$5.38 $5.38

6.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.98 $0.98

46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.59 $1.59

56.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.55 $1.55

14.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.46 $1.46

102.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.33 $6.33

59.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.73 $5.73

76.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.63 $7.63

87.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.31 $2.31

79.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.23 $1.23

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.28 $1.28

75.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.08 $1.08

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.23 $1.23

65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.07 $1.07

43.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.51 $0.51

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.05 $1.05

24.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.13 $6.13

-36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.15 $10.15

38.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.52 $1.52

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.18 $3.18

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.31 $0.31

293.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$17.98 $17.98

347.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.46 $1.46

-10.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.26 $1.26

73.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$10.04 $10.04

-13.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.87 $0.87

57.47%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.1K $21.1K

31.99%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$28.0K $28.0K

27.76%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$28.70 $28.70

517.77%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.85 $17.85

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$28.97 $28.97

2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$30.52 $30.52

47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$18.70 $18.70

-8.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.76 $6.76

-1.63%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$219 $219

270.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,918 $8,918

3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$64.5 $64.5

38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$48.75 $48.75

20.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$113 $113

21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$108 $108

-5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$298 $298

256.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$187 $187

254.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$650 $650

190.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$405 $405

153.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,107 $1,107

277.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$731 $731

129.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$444 $444

52.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.12

8.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Esmeraldas: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $298 in Esmeraldas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 53% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $54.0 in Esmeraldas. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $193, with Esmeraldas cheaper for home cooking.

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 Esmeraldas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esmeraldas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $298 in Esmeraldas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Esmeraldas – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Esmeraldas versus $1,681 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 110% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.