Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Irati Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Irati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $724 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,184 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,644 in Irati.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Irati 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.37 R$37.29

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$35.87 R$182

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.15 R$31.11

17.56%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.34 R$6.80

21.64%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.98 R$4.97

11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.66 R$3.36

10.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.23 R$6.23

41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.86 R$9.43

73.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.73 R$3.70

43.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.05 R$5.32

22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.67 R$3.41

97.01%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.28 R$6.46

77.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$5.88 R$29.79

-26.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.16 R$15.97

86.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.35 R$37.19

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.31 R$6.65

71.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.70 R$3.53

52.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.73 R$3.72

108.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.21 R$6.12

17.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.74 R$3.77

58.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.55 R$2.80

112.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.43 R$2.15

106.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.54 R$2.72

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.94 R$9.82

15.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.57 R$38.31

45.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.99 R$5.02

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.47 R$7.43

61.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.86 R$4.37

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$38.30 R$194

9.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.29 R$6.53

9.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.65 R$3.30

192.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.16 R$26.13

50.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.04 R$5.28

-2.88%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$16.3K R$82.5K

7.93%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.6K R$119.2K

12.50%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$53.1 R$269

57.56%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.22 R$66.9

-28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.80 R$80.0

52.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.08 R$112

14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$21.98 R$111

-12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.20 R$31.37

-33.87%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$268 R$1,356

16.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$5,535 R$28.0K

8.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$45.38 R$230

27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$44.00 R$223

-26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$81.1 R$411

22.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$52.6 R$266

106.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$315 R$1,592

53.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$214 R$1,085

76.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$583 R$2,951

43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$421 R$2,132

71.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,511 R$7,647

88.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,128 R$5,709

8.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$502 R$2,542

7.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.2

31.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Irati: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $315 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Irati. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $135, with Irati cheaper for home cooking.

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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $315 in Irati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Irati runs roughly 10% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $268 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $724 in Irati versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irati but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Irati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irati hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.