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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $422 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $686 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $950 in Imbabah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 141% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.62 E£185

64.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$15.60 E£797

113.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.73 E£242

52.85%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.51 E£77.0

7.95%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.29 E£14.57

275.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.10 E£5.05

630.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.21 E£62.0

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.98 E£152

8.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.60 E£30.86

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.19 E£9.45

578.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.67 E£34.18

97.01%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.46 E£74.6

55.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$1.45 E£74.1

200.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.14 E£160

87.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.84 E£349

25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.43 E£73.0

57.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.51 E£26.05

109.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.39 E£19.73

289.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.22 E£11.28

545.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.41 E£20.72

185.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.41 E£20.86

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.11 E£5.80

709.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.19 E£9.95

373.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.74 E£89.1

29.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$1.93 E£98.7

472.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.33 E£68.0

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.93 E£98.6

23.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.19 E£9.66

342.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$14.53 E£742

188.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.25 E£12.82

464.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.45 E£23.11

322.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.04 E£104

279.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.25 E£12.80

304.00%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$35.2K E£1.8M

-50.08%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$33.2K E£1.7M

-20.18%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$11.33 E£578

638.57%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$5.84 E£298

61.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.19 E£520

136.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.01 E£1,124

14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$2.87 E£147

42.86%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$24.00 E£1,226

1199.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$974 E£49.7K

515.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$15.78 E£806

267.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$19.89 E£1,016

63.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$111 E£5,650

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$50.8 E£2,595

113.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$193 E£9,852

149.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$101 E£5,174

274.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$308 E£15.7K

172.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$177 E£9,034

308.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$785 E£40.1K

261.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$362 E£18.5K

238.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$94.3 E£4,814

473.75%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $193 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 474% 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: $190 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: $1,017 in Medellin, $422 in Imbabah – roughly 141% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $633 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 113% 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 $422, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $422 in Imbabah to $1,017 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.