Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gabane Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gabane

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $357 in Gabane, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $547 in Gabane, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $736 in Gabane, rent included.

Medellin costs about 188% more than Gabane, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Gabane are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Gabane 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$18.67 P 245

75.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.55 P 85.8

13.28%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.66 P 21.72

-0.60%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.64 P 8.42

67.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.64 P 8.44

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$2.26 P 29.58

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.21 P 28.93

44.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$0.99 P 13.03

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.87 P 11.41

50.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.46 P 19.14

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$7.65 P 100

-25.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$2.29 P 29.94

-47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.31 P 30.20

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.53 P 7.01

49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$75.1 P 983

-68.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$3.64 P 47.68

414.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$3.81 P 49.88

7.35%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$212 P 2,782

128.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$141 P 1,846

159.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$377 P 4,937

119.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$262 P 3,434

178.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gabane: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $212 in Gabane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Gabane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $79.0 – making Gabane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Gabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 188%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $536 in Gabane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gabane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 141% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Gabane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gabane, where all-in costs run around $357, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Gabane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gabane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gabane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.