Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imperatriz Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imperatriz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $779 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,251 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,722 in Imperatriz.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than Imperatriz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Imperatriz 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.45 R$27.57

9.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$26.60 R$135

25.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.37 R$32.26

13.50%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.81 R$9.14

-9.94%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.13 R$5.72

-3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.43 R$2.17

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.81 R$9.17

-3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.64 R$13.39

22.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.95 R$4.80

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.52 R$7.71

-15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.17 R$5.93

12.82%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.97 R$9.99

15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.12 R$41.11

-46.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.62 R$18.32

62.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.19 R$36.41

19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.07 R$10.48

8.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.30 R$6.60

-17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.18 R$5.98

28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.45 R$7.33

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.16 R$5.87

0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.06 R$5.37

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.69 R$3.48

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.67 R$3.38

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.17 R$11.01

3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.70 R$38.97

43.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.26 R$6.40

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.98 R$10.01

20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.93 R$4.69

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$39.11 R$198

7.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.06 R$5.36

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.71 R$3.57

167.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.55 R$33.18

18.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.09 R$5.51

-7.34%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.9K R$105.6K

-15.69%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.8K R$140.8K

-4.75%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$60.4 R$306

38.45%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.68 R$69.3

-30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$18.56 R$93.9

29.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.68 R$115

11.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$21.65 R$110

-11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.20 R$31.39

-33.87%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$274 R$1,387

13.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,364 R$32.2K

-5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$48.61 R$246

19.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$41.89 R$212

-22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$77.2 R$391

28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$65.4 R$331

65.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$314 R$1,591

53.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$217 R$1,097

75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$586 R$2,967

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$434 R$2,198

66.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,649 R$8,349

72.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,205 R$6,101

1.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $314 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $174 per month, with Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,169 in Imperatriz to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $314 in Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $779 in Imperatriz versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.