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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,030 per month in Medellin vs $421 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $682 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $943 in Imbabah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 144% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$3.64 E£191

62.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$15.95 E£839

107.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.53 E£238

60.04%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$1.50 E£78.9

14.00%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.31 E£16.44

251.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.11 E£5.64

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.20 E£63.2

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.98 E£157

6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,780

$0.66 E£34.52

60.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.21 E£11.19

519.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.69 E£36.47

100.00%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$1.45 E£76.3

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$1.49 E£78.6

203.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$3.23 E£170

79.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$6.97 E£367

28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.41 E£74.4

62.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$0.51 E£26.68

107.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$0.38 E£20.16

297.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$0.21 E£10.98

547.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$0.37 E£19.54

213.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$0.44 E£22.89

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.10 E£5.35

730.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.17 E£8.95

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$1.73 E£91.3

35.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$1.89 E£99.5

486.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.36 E£71.7

-15.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$2.03 E£107

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.17 E£9.04

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

$14.72 E£775

184.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.25 E£13.16

476.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.45 E£23.68

322.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$2.04 E£107

277.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$0.25 E£13.23

312.00%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$35.5K E£1.9M

-50.25%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$33.5K E£1.8M

-19.47%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$11.40 E£600

614.21%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$5.76 E£303

63.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$10.16 E£535

133.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$21.92 E£1,153

17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$2.93 E£154

38.23%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$23.24 E£1,223

1244.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$997 E£52.4K

508.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$15.83 E£833

271.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$19.70 E£1,037

66.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$108 E£5,699

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$50.6 E£2,663

109.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$191 E£10.0K

156.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$98.2 E£5,169

277.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$315 E£16.6K

166.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$178 E£9,381

300.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$783 E£41.2K

277.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$407 E£21.4K

242.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$95.9 E£5,048

454.54%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 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 455% 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 in Medellin versus $16 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $91 – 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: $1,030 in Medellin, $421 in Imbabah – roughly 144% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,544 per month in Medellin and $632 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 110% 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 $421, than in Medellin at $1,030. 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 $421 in Imbabah to $1,030 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.