Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fajardo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fajardo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,288 in Fajardo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,519 in Fajardo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,750 in Fajardo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than in Fajardo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Fajardo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.96 $9.96

-19.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$83.9 $83.9

-42.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.12 $9.12

3.29%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$3.62 $3.62

-18.78%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.79 $1.79

3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$2.92 $2.92

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.10 $5.10

11.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.28 $2.28

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$3.08 $3.08

-22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.41 $2.41

-29.46%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$5.65 $5.65

-48.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$5.11 $5.11

96.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.39 $9.39

6.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.18 $13.18

7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.99 $4.99

-20.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.55 $2.55

-38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$4.73 $4.73

-54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$4.72 $4.72

-51.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$3.72 $3.72

-46.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$3.87 $3.87

-60.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$3.40 $3.40

-64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$1.66 $1.66

-22.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$11.58 $11.58

-66.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.70 $9.70

44.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$2.96 $2.96

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$4.04 $4.04

-32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$2.45 $2.45

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$1.51 $1.51

43.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$41.72 $41.72

-80.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.92 $0.92

47.83%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$40.2K $40.2K

-31.68%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$28.4K $28.4K

28.52%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$322 $322

-47.65%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$70.4 $70.4

-80.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$69.2 $69.2

-59.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$99.6 $99.6

-54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.58 $10.58

-37.15%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$812 $812

-1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$12.5K $12.5K

-26.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$55.1 $55.1

58.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$62.5 $62.5

-4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$107 $107

29.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$112 $112

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,005 $1,005

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$992 $992

5.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.55

67.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $84.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $365 per month, with Medellin 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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,932 in Fajardo 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,288 in Fajardo – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,288 in Fajardo versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fajardo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Fajardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fajardo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,288 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fajardo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Fajardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.