Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Granada Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Granada

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Medellin vs $883 in Granada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Medellin vs $1,251 in Granada, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,302 per month in Medellin vs $1,619 in Granada, rent included.

Medellin costs about 83% more than Granada, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Granada is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 COP 24.8K

$4.26 NIO 156

80.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.28 COP 139.8K

$23.87 NIO 874

81.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.04 NIO 258

34.94%

Cappuccino

$2.81 COP 9,077

$1.77 NIO 64.9

58.76%

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

$1.84 COP 5,930

$0.87 NIO 31.97

111.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,868

$0.64 NIO 23.40

135.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 COP 9,964

$1.28 NIO 46.72

140.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 COP 17.7K

$1.96 NIO 71.8

180.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,343

$1.22 NIO 44.82

9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 COP 7,448

$1.60 NIO 58.6

44.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,747

$0.53 NIO 19.56

177.36%

Eggs

$2.69 COP 8,683

$1.19 NIO 43.53

126.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 COP 28.7K

$4.89 NIO 179

81.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 COP 34.4K

$4.98 NIO 182

113.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 COP 46.8K

$7.29 NIO 267

98.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$3.63 NIO 133

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,480

$0.63 NIO 22.93

120.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,179

$1.82 NIO 66.7

21.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,398

$0.97 NIO 35.61

104.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,638

$2.80 NIO 103

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,169

$0.98 NIO 35.76

63.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,366

$1.03 NIO 37.62

0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,099

$1.08 NIO 39.53

17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$2.74 NIO 100

36.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 COP 42.3K

$10.17 NIO 372

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,094

$1.41 NIO 51.5

12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 COP 9,754

$1.80 NIO 65.9

67.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.11 NIO 4.08

963.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 COP 245.4K

$3.89 NIO 143

1852.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 COP 4,856

$0.59 NIO 21.44

154.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,739

$1.12 NIO 40.98

86.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 COP 26.2K

$6.98 NIO 256

16.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,079

$1.34 NIO 49.05

-5.97%

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

$26.9K COP 86.9M

$23.3K NIO 854.7K

15.28%

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

$34.9K COP 112.7M

$26.6K NIO 973.0K

31.30%

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

$148 COP 479.2K

$110 NIO 4,032

34.70%

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

$13.03 COP 42.1K

$17.23 NIO 631

-24.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 COP 101.7K

$36.60 NIO 1,340

-13.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.50 COP 147.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 COP 55.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 COP 20.4K

$8.57 NIO 314

-26.25%

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

$837 COP 2.7M

$176 NIO 6,430

376.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,663 COP 28.0M

$6,107 NIO 223.7K

41.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 286.9K

$14.90 NIO 546

495.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 COP 177.5K

$30.18 NIO 1,105

82.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 434.4K

$34.43 NIO 1,261

290.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.0K

$36.05 NIO 1,320

200.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 COP 3.0M

$417 NIO 15.3K

125.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 COP 2.1M

$347 NIO 12.7K

86.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 COP 6.3M

$795 NIO 29.1K

144.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 COP 3.6M

$515 NIO 18.9K

118.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 COP 11.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,553 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 COP 2.0M

$136 NIO 4,970

362.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

10.25

1.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 3, 2026

Last update for Granada: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Medellin versus $417 in Granada. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 363% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Granada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $189 – making Granada 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 Granada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,618 in Medellin, $883 in Granada – roughly 83% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,427 per month in Medellin and $1,325 in Granada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1853% less in Granada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $837 per month in Medellin and $176 in Granada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Granada, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Medellin at $1,618. In Granada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $883 in Granada to $1,618 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Granada. 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.