Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Intag Valley

For one person, living is cheaper in Intag Valley: $888 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Intag Valley, Ecuador
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Intag Valley
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Intag Valley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Intag Valley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $888 in Intag Valley.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Intag Valley $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,336 in Intag Valley.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Intag Valley $1,336

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,784 in Intag Valley.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Intag Valley $1,784

Living in Medellin is roughly 85% more expensive than in Intag Valley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Intag Valley is 35% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.55 $3.55
127.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.8K
$27.99 $27.99
68.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.48 $7.48
27.01%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,729
$2.42 $2.42
24.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,806
$0.90 $0.90
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,558
$0.62 $0.62
127.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$1.96 $1.96
62.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$3.59 $3.59
60.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,873
$1.08 $1.08
39.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,673
$1.63 $1.63
46.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,716
$1.49 $1.49
18.79%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,327
$2.16 $2.16
33.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$5.30 $5.30
92.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$5.41 $5.41
82.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$6.39 $6.39
118.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.07 $2.07
91.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,009
$1.17 $1.17
32.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,044
$1.04 $1.04
109.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.08 $1.08
101.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,333
$1.45 $1.45
35.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,129
$1.06 $1.06
50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$0.52 $0.52
121.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,012
$1.01 $1.01
22.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.02 $6.02
-34.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$10.11 $10.11
35.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,356
$1.49 $1.49
11.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,286
$2.52 $2.52
-10.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,769
$0.36 $0.36
225.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.7K
$24.34 $24.34
217.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,092
$1.53 $1.53
-16.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,608
$1.01 $1.01
102.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$10.18 $10.18
-16.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,346
$0.64 $0.64
110.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.9M
$25.5K $25.5K
33.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$29.1K $29.1K
18.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.5K
$39.06 $39.06
334.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$13.88 $13.88
-2.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$30.78 $30.78
-8.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.0K
$29.58 $29.58
47.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$14.40 $14.40
19.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$7.41 $7.41
-6.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$251 $251
217.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$5,679 $5,679
60.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.4K
$55.3 $55.3
53.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.0K
$42.98 $42.98
34.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.5K
$98.1 $98.1
37.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.8K
$75.4 $75.4
29.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$340 $340
254.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$318 $318
101.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$622 $622
225.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$493 $493
105.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,258 $1,258
231.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$991 $991
92.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Intag Valley
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
10
9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Intag Valley: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Intag Valley
$318 50.4% $323
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Intag Valley
$184 38% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Intag Valley
$84 60.4% $128
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Intag Valley
$103 39.2% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Intag Valley
$122 27.6% $47
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Intag Valley
$32 65.4% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Intag Valley
$44 22.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $340 in Intag Valley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $28 in Intag Valley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $184 per month, with Intag Valley cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇨 Intag Valley
🕒 Local time
01:39 1:39 AM
01:39 1:39 AM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
15,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Intag Valley 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Intag Valley

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Intag Valley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Intag Valley?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $888 in Intag Valley, so Intag Valley is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Intag Valley?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,332 in Intag Valley 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Intag Valley?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $340 in Intag Valley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Intag Valley – a meal for two runs $28 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $888 in Intag Valley versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Intag Valley but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Intag Valley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Intag Valley?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Intag Valley?
Expats usually find Intag Valley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?