Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imbabah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imbabah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $425 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $671 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $918 in Imbabah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 136% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Imbabah 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.52 E£177

67.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$15.64 E£787

110.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.66 E£234

59.44%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.43 E£71.8

15.38%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.29 E£14.45

279.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.12 E£6.16

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.17 E£58.9

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.00 E£151

6.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.65 E£32.54

69.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.22 E£11.13

472.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.66 E£33.39

109.09%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.40 E£70.3

55.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$1.44 E£72.6

211.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.08 E£155

87.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$6.76 E£340

32.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.41 E£71.1

64.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.50 E£25.23

112.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.39 E£19.61

289.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.17 E£8.65

700.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.37 E£18.82

205.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.41 E£20.54

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.09 E£4.31

900.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.18 E£8.93

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.77 E£88.9

25.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$1.96 E£98.4

518.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.38 E£69.5

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.00 E£100

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.17 E£8.64

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$14.86 E£747

180.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.23 E£11.47

517.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.42 E£21.28

364.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$2.00 E£100

294.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.25 E£12.61

296.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$35.6K E£1.8M

-50.49%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$32.7K E£1.6M

-18.16%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$11.28 E£567

635.90%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$5.87 E£295

65.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$10.21 E£514

130.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.14 E£1,113

14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$2.93 E£147

34.81%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$23.81 E£1,198

1226.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$970 E£48.8K

516.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$15.92 E£801

276.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$19.58 E£985

62.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$111 E£5,565

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$51.3 E£2,579

109.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$191 E£9,583

149.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$100 E£5,053

272.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$306 E£15.4K

177.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$179 E£9,014

301.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$801 E£40.3K

307.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$457 E£23.0K

214.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$100 E£5,046

522.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $191 in Imbabah. 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 522% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $89.0 – making Imbabah 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 Imbabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,003 in Medellin, $425 in Imbabah – roughly 136% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Medellin and $637 in Imbabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 118% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Imbabah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imbabah, where all-in costs run around $425, than in Medellin at $1,003. In Imbabah 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 $425 in Imbabah to $1,003 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Imbabah. 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.