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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $716 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,165 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,615 in Irati.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Irati 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.23 R$36.07

-18.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$36.42 R$182

-10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.18 R$30.82

16.50%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.36 R$6.78

25.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.99 R$4.92

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.66 R$3.30

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.24 R$6.18

34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.83 R$9.14

69.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.69 R$3.43

53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.06 R$5.29

17.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.67 R$3.32

107.46%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.22 R$6.07

85.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.60 R$27.94

-22.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.14 R$15.65

85.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.23 R$36.09

22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.36 R$6.81

64.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.70 R$3.47

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.75 R$3.73

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.20 R$6.00

14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.74 R$3.69

52.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.55 R$2.76

103.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.46 R$2.28

84.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.59 R$2.93

54.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.01 R$10.03

15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.98 R$39.84

39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.99 R$4.94

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.45 R$7.24

63.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.94 R$4.68

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.32 R$191

7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.29 R$6.46

11.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.65 R$3.25

193.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.92 R$24.55

63.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.05 R$5.22

-10.48%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$16.7K R$83.2K

7.47%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.4K R$116.8K

14.43%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$53.9 R$269

55.83%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$12.98 R$64.8

-26.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$16.21 R$80.9

49.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.63 R$113

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$21.72 R$108

-12.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.40 R$31.94

-38.75%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$274 R$1,369

11.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,631 R$28.1K

5.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$45.87 R$229

26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$42.99 R$215

-25.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$80.6 R$402

23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$52.3 R$261

105.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$313 R$1,561

55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$216 R$1,077

70.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$583 R$2,907

41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$437 R$2,178

64.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,675 R$8,357

74.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,176 R$5,867

19.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$515 R$2,569

5.94%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Irati: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $313 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 6% 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 44% 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 6% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $313 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 7% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $274 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $716 in Irati versus $1,034 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 $716 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 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.