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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $798 in Franco da Rocha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,295 in Franco da Rocha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,793 in Franco da Rocha.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than Franco da Rocha, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Franco da Rocha 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$6.13 R$31.58

-2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$33.07 R$170

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$7.12 R$36.67

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.89 R$9.75

-9.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.32 R$6.78

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.93 R$4.80

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.83 R$9.40

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.37 R$17.37

-8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.09 R$5.60

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.55 R$7.98

-18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.24 R$6.40

11.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.32 R$11.95

-5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.42 R$43.36

-47.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.87 R$19.94

45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$8.64 R$44.48

2.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.19 R$11.27

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.75 R$9.03

-39.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.48 R$7.62

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.60 R$8.26

-13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.32 R$6.78

-12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.14 R$5.87

1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.80 R$4.11

11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.65 R$3.36

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.73 R$14.08

-16.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$8.70 R$44.81

22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.39 R$7.14

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$3.40 R$17.49

-27.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.87 R$4.50

-1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$37.87 R$195

9.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$0.93 R$4.77

58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.03 R$5.30

90.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$8.85 R$45.59

-12.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.01 R$5.19

-5.94%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$22.4K R$115.3K

-18.97%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$28.7K R$148.1K

-7.87%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$47.86 R$247

71.86%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$15.24 R$78.5

-37.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$19.04 R$98.1

27.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.90 R$118

13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.65 R$112

-12.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$5.28 R$27.21

-25.57%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$319 R$1,641

-2.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,968 R$35.9K

-14.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$57.4 R$296

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$51.0 R$263

-36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$84.6 R$436

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$73.4 R$378

47.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$315 R$1,621

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$217 R$1,115

74.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$575 R$2,959

45.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$422 R$2,172

71.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,658 R$8,539

68.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,319 R$6,793

-8.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Franco da Rocha: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $315 in Franco da Rocha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Franco da Rocha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $195 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 Franco da Rocha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Franco da Rocha differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $798 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,196 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: $476 in Medellin versus $315 in Franco da Rocha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $798 in Franco da Rocha – a 27% 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 9% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $798 in Franco da Rocha versus $1,013 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.