Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibb Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $879 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,447 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,014 in Ibb.

Living in Medellin is roughly 91% more expensive than in Ibb, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ibb is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.30 YER 1,487

27.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$25.73 YER 6,079

86.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$13.05 YER 3,084

-24.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.17 YER 512

44.24%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.12 YER 265

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.50 YER 118

202.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.06 YER 486

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.98 YER 230

154.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.02 YER 476

-12.38%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.63 YER 857

-18.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.87 YER 3,277

-27.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$8.12 YER 1,918

24.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$19.07 YER 4,504

-25.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.26 YER 771

26.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.01 YER 239

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.25 YER 532

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.68 YER 397

33.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.47 YER 347

38.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.32 YER 311

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.81 YER 192

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.69 YER 163

89.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.36 YER 793

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 435

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 YER 821

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.95 YER 933

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.12 YER 502

-38.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.56 YER 605

-14.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.36 YER 1,739

18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.05 YER 485

-33.17%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$17.0K YER 4.0M

64.07%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.9K YER 8.2M

2.64%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$63.6 YER 15.0K

178.77%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$15.57 YER 3,677

-10.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.89 YER 7,060

-0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.99 YER 1,415

11.02%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$24.80 YER 5,859

3177.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,138 YER 505.1K

329.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$29.42 YER 6,950

204.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$120 YER 28.4K

-50.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$47.06 YER 11.1K

193.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$40.69 YER 9,613

151.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$313 YER 74.0K

239.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$252 YER 59.6K

162.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$773 YER 182.7K

144.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$629 YER 148.7K

63.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$359 YER 84.8K

88.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ibb: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $313 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $251 per month, with Ibb 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 Ibb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibb is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $313 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $879 in Ibb – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $879 in Ibb versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ibb 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.

Expats usually find Ibb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.