Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibb

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibb: $876 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ibb
Learn more

Ibb Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ibb

🇾🇪 Yemen

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ibb

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Ibb actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $876 in Ibb.

Medellin $1,639
Ibb $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,454 in Ibb.

Medellin $2,413
Ibb $1,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,033 in Ibb.

Medellin $3,186
Ibb $2,033

Living in Medellin is roughly 87% more expensive than in Ibb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ibb is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.44 YER 1,519

25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$18.83 YER 4,442

149.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$9.28 YER 2,189

2.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 YER 585

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.78 YER 891

-20.37%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.12 YER 265

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.46 YER 108

206.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.96 YER 463

-22.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.98 YER 231

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.06 YER 485

-14.08%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.69 YER 871

-21.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.94 YER 3,287

-26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$8.14 YER 1,921

21.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$19.05 YER 4,493

-26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.30 YER 778

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.00 YER 236

55.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.15 YER 508

1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.72 YER 405

26.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.54 YER 362

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.37 YER 322

16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.88 YER 207

30.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.63 YER 148

96.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.51 YER 591

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 439

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 YER 596

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.93 YER 927

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.13 YER 503

-40.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$2.69 YER 636

-23.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.43 YER 1,753

15.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.06 YER 487

-34.47%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$16.8K YER 4.0M

102.61%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$34.8K YER 8.2M

-0.31%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$62.4 YER 14.7K

172.01%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$15.86 YER 3,741

-14.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$29.91 YER 7,054

-6.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.05 YER 1,426

14.21%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$24.36 YER 5,747

3170.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,204 YER 519.9K

313.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$29.62 YER 6,986

186.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$121 YER 28.4K

-51.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$48.16 YER 11.4K

180.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$40.48 YER 9,549

141.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$319 YER 75.2K

278.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$252 YER 59.4K

154.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$748 YER 176.4K

171.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$640 YER 150.9K

58.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$361 YER 85.1K

82.15%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ibb: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ibb

$252 28.7% 60.8% $390

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ibb

$250 28.6% 15.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ibb

$108 12.3% 48.8% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ibb

$131 15% 22.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ibb

$107 12.3% 36.4% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ibb

$16 * 1.8% 83.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ibb

$12 * 1.4% 79% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $319 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 82% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $250 per month, with Ibb cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇾🇪 Ibb

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

208,844

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 263 YER (1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ibb 13,000 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ibb

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 47% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $319 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $876 in Ibb – Ibb is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $876 in Ibb versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ibb wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.