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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $766 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,199 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,631 in Irati.

Living in Medellin is roughly 119% more expensive than in Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Irati is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$5.80 R$29.84

38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$22.91 R$118

108.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.66 R$34.26

48.50%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$1.42 R$7.31

120.42%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$0.61 R$3.12

213.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.51 R$2.60

196.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$1.38 R$7.09

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.00 R$10.30

187.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$0.76 R$3.92

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$1.10 R$5.67

126.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$0.78 R$4.03

126.92%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$1.33 R$6.82

122.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$6.12 R$31.47

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.08 R$15.82

228.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.61 R$33.99

116.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.64 R$8.41

152.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$0.76 R$3.92

111.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$0.82 R$4.19

174.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.29 R$6.65

74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$0.76 R$3.89

168.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$0.60 R$3.07

156.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$0.50 R$2.55

134.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$0.58 R$2.98

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.12 R$10.93

83.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.77 R$45.08

59.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$1.09 R$5.60

59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$1.54 R$7.91

86.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

$0.95 R$4.91

28.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

$42.26 R$217

90.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.32 R$6.81

-0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$1.52 R$7.84

44.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.59 R$28.75

55.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$1.22 R$6.28

12.30%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$17.4K R$89.5K

59.85%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$25.2K R$129.8K

41.71%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$58.9 R$303

201.07%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$11.02 R$56.7

25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$17.46 R$89.8

70.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

$25.71 R$132

74.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$27.31 R$140

-37.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$6.73 R$34.62

-1.19%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$309 R$1,587

163.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$6,461 R$33.2K

42.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$45.16 R$232

98.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$47.38 R$244

24.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$87.2 R$448

58.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$56.6 R$291

80.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$341 R$1,753

211.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$232 R$1,194

185.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$645 R$3,317

192.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$451 R$2,318

127.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,620 R$8,332

158.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,128 R$5,801

48.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$501 R$2,578

35.17%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Irati: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $341 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 35% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $142 per month, with Irati 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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 119% 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 35% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $341 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 90% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $309 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $766 in Irati versus $1,681 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 $766 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 119% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.