Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Garliava Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Garliava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,354 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $2,084 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,814 in Garliava.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Garliava, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Garliava is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$12.56 €10.75

-37.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$51.4 €43.92

-13.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.78 €5.80

37.02%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.18 €2.72

-8.81%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$2.84 €2.43

-36.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.99 €1.70

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$5.43 €4.65

-40.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$4.58 €3.92

28.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.67 €1.42

-17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.83 €1.57

33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$2.31 €1.98

-34.63%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$3.00 €2.56

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$10.51 €8.99

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$8.55 €7.31

24.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$10.35 €8.85

41.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.79 €1.53

121.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.62 €1.38

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.28 €1.95

0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$3.32 €2.84

-39.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.78 €0.67

167.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.01 €0.86

61.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.90 €1.62

-43.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.88 €0.76

42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$6.02 €5.15

-33.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$10.14 €8.67

32.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.80 €1.54

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.78 €1.52

68.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$1.28 €1.10

-7.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$31.14 €26.64

156.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.19 €1.01

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.83 €0.71

156.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$13.51 €11.55

-36.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.78 €1.52

-24.16%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$27.9K €23.9K

1.41%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$29.9K €25.6K

19.45%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$215 €184

-29.48%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$15.64 €13.38

-16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$14.72 €12.59

119.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$39.99 €34.20

15.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$21.39 €18.30

-19.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$9.04 €7.73

-28.87%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$467 €400

78.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$9,193 €7,864

-3.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$87.9 €75.2

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$41.66 €35.64

32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$84.7 €72.5

61.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$169 €145

-35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$527 €451

80.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$353 €302

89.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$766 €655

163.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$648 €555

77.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,646 €2,263

39.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,652 €1,413

-4.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$1,397 €1,195

-55.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

3.96

163.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Garliava: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $527 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garliava pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $51.0 in Garliava. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $261, with Garliava 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 Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garliava is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Garliava. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $952 in Medellin versus $527 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Garliava runs roughly 157% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $467 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,354 in Garliava versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garliava but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Garliava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garliava 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Garliava are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Garliava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.