Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Irati

For one person, living is cheaper in Irati: $738 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Irati
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Irati Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Irati

🇧🇷 Brazil

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Irati

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 Irati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $738 in Irati.

Medellin $1,692
Irati $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,161 in Irati.

Medellin $2,471
Irati $1,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,585 in Irati.

Medellin $3,249
Irati $1,585

Living in Medellin is roughly 129% more expensive than in Irati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Irati is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$5.71 R$31.18

46.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$22.61 R$123

105.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$6.41 R$35.02

47.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.42 R$7.76

120.42%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.54 R$2.93

227.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.48 R$2.64

195.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.33 R$7.25

136.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.87 R$10.21

204.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.72 R$3.95

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.10 R$5.99

108.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.72 R$3.91

169.44%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.28 R$7.01

139.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$5.92 R$32.34

68.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.93 R$16.02

256.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$6.22 R$33.93

124.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.51 R$8.24

168.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.75 R$4.12

104.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$0.71 R$3.88

195.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.24 R$6.78

84.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$0.76 R$4.16

177.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.59 R$3.21

189.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.45 R$2.45

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.56 R$3.07

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.01 R$10.95

94.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$8.18 R$44.65

71.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.05 R$5.72

67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.47 R$8.04

84.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.92 R$5.05

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$42.00 R$229

81.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.27 R$6.96

42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$1.52 R$8.28

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$5.10 R$27.87

59.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.21 R$6.63

5.79%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$16.6K R$90.7K

107.37%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$23.9K R$130.7K

42.62%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$56.9 R$311

212.14%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$10.46 R$57.1

32.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$16.80 R$91.7

82.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$24.08 R$131

74.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$25.58 R$140

-34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.40 R$34.97

16.72%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$297 R$1,622

165.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,048 R$33.0K

103.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$42.33 R$231

103.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$44.45 R$243

33.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$84.5 R$462

63.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$53.8 R$294

83.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$340 R$1,855

294.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$229 R$1,253

190.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$622 R$3,395

217.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$444 R$2,423

132.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,550 R$8,462

164.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,146 R$6,259

69.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$493 R$2,693

30.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Irati: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Irati

$229 31.1% 65.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Irati

$135 18.3% 56.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Irati

$84 11.4% 62.1% $138

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Irati

$96 13.1% 44.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Irati

$101 13.7% 41.2% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Irati

$55 7.4% 41.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Irati

$37 5% 35.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $340 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $135 per month, with Irati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Irati

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

59,250

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Irati 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Irati

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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 56% 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.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $340 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 45% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $297 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Expats usually find Irati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.