Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Franco da Rocha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Franco da Rocha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $891 in Franco da Rocha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,452 in Franco da Rocha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,012 in Franco da Rocha.

Living in Medellin is roughly 84% more expensive than in Franco da Rocha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Franco da Rocha is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.85 R$35.10

17.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$39.13 R$201

23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.92 R$45.73

5.61%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.15 R$11.00

36.74%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.71 R$8.79

8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.17 R$5.98

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.87 R$14.74

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.93 R$25.28

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.16 R$5.93

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.90 R$9.76

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.11 R$5.69

53.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.71 R$13.87

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.50 R$43.58

18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.37 R$22.39

128.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.37 R$53.2

36.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.74 R$14.04

45.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.81 R$9.27

-12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.74 R$8.90

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.82 R$9.35

26.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.38 R$7.06

44.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.32 R$6.78

14.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.91 R$4.69

31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.74 R$3.78

72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.63 R$13.46

46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.86 R$45.43

58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.61 R$8.24

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.35 R$22.29

-37.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.92 R$4.71

35.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$41.69 R$214

86.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.24 R$6.37

5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.36 R$7.00

59.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.29 R$47.60

-10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.26 R$6.48

7.94%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.4K R$119.9K

17.49%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$33.0K R$169.1K

10.75%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$45.08 R$231

274.27%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.01 R$76.9

-9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$17.60 R$90.2

60.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$25.53 R$131

79.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$27.07 R$139

-36.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.50 R$38.45

-11.33%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$413 R$2,116

94.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,334 R$37.6K

25.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$54.7 R$281

59.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$56.6 R$290

4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.3 R$478

48.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$82.5 R$423

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$340 R$1,743

214.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$230 R$1,180

183.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$632 R$3,239

204.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$451 R$2,312

132.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,627 R$8,340

153.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,116 R$5,719

52.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.12

-1.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Franco da Rocha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $340 in Franco da Rocha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Franco da Rocha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $219 per month, with Franco da Rocha 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 Franco da Rocha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Franco da Rocha differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $891 including rent). Franco da Rocha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,336 in Franco da Rocha 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 $340 in Franco da Rocha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $891 in Franco da Rocha – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Franco da Rocha runs roughly 87% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $891 in Franco da Rocha versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Franco da Rocha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Franco da Rocha 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.

Expats usually find Franco da Rocha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.