Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ilopango Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ilopango

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,662 in Ilopango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,904 in Ilopango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,146 in Ilopango.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than in Ilopango, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Ilopango 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.14 $3.14

155.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.0K

$45.85 $45.85

5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.6K

$5.04 $5.04

93.85%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,107

$2.96 $2.96

-1.69%

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

$1.94 COP 6,082

$0.88 $0.88

120.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,760

$0.92 $0.92

65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,676

$0.90 $0.90

243.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.0K

$1.67 $1.67

243.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,267

$3.18 $3.18

-57.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,470

$1.46 $1.46

63.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,321

$3.05 $3.05

-44.26%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,979

$3.05 $3.05

-5.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$5.06 $5.06

96.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.88 $5.88

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.1K

$10.16 $10.16

44.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.02 $3.02

35.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,917

$2.06 $2.06

-23.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,651

$1.95 $1.95

9.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,926

$2.03 $2.03

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,404

$1.94 $1.94

5.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,706

$2.03 $2.03

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,723

$0.99 $0.99

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,623

$0.99 $0.99

17.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.11 $4.11

-5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.2K

$12.04 $12.04

19.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,955

$0.98 $0.98

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,847

$1.97 $1.97

43.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,655

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

$35.64 $35.64

118.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,019

$7.18 $7.18

-82.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,546

$2.23 $2.23

-6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

$4.90 $4.90

75.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,061

$0.67 $0.67

94.03%

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

$27.7K COP 86.5M

$20.3K $20.3K

35.93%

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

$35.5K COP 111.1M

$26.1K $26.1K

36.00%

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

$176 COP 550.9K

$35.52 $35.52

395.69%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$9.95 $9.95

34.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.5K

$39.43 $39.43

-24.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

$40.37 $40.37

10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

$9.93 $9.93

71.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.06 $5.06

22.53%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$106 $106

646.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,923 $1,923

369.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.8K

$20.08 $20.08

326.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.9K

$30.49 $30.49

91.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 426.4K

$74.3 $74.3

83.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.6K

$60.2 $60.2

71.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$664 $664

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$1,001 $1,001

-32.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$581 $581

246.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$619 $619

88.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,729 $1,729

137.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$946 $946

79.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,014 $1,014

-34.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $664 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $250 per month, with Ilopango 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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilopango is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Ilopango. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $664 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $106 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,662 in Ilopango versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ilopango but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ilopango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ilopango 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 Ilopango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.