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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $869 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,355 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,841 in Imperatriz.

Living in Medellin is roughly 93% more expensive than in Imperatriz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Imperatriz is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$5.97 R$30.70

34.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$34.38 R$177

39.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$7.05 R$36.24

40.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.89 R$9.74

65.61%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.09 R$5.62

75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.47 R$2.42

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.83 R$9.40

70.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.28 R$16.85

75.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.27 R$6.51

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.53 R$7.89

62.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.19 R$6.11

48.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.90 R$9.76

55.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.48 R$53.9

-3.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.01 R$20.63

152.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.65 R$39.36

86.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.34 R$12.06

76.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.25 R$6.42

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.07 R$5.48

110.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.52 R$7.82

48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.18 R$6.08

72.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.17 R$5.99

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.72 R$3.69

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.80 R$4.10

63.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.40 R$12.34

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.08 R$41.56

73.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.26 R$6.46

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.85 R$9.51

55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.83 R$4.28

46.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$40.26 R$207

99.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.26 R$6.49

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.72 R$3.68

204.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$7.50 R$38.57

16.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.20 R$6.16

14.17%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$24.9K R$128.2K

11.64%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$34.3K R$176.2K

4.38%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$71.1 R$366

149.37%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$10.82 R$55.7

28.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$20.76 R$107

43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$25.59 R$132

75.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$25.68 R$132

-33.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$7.69 R$39.52

-13.52%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$271 R$1,395

199.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$6,562 R$33.7K

40.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$47.45 R$244

88.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$52.8 R$272

11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$91.1 R$468

51.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$73.4 R$377

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$339 R$1,741

213.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$236 R$1,216

180.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$735 R$3,781

156.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$397 R$2,041

158.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,382 R$7,108

202.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,101 R$5,662

52.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.06

-1.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $339 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Imperatriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $190 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,304 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $339 in Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% 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 $34.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Imperatriz versus $1,681 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 93% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.