Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Itu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Itu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $722 in Itu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,311 in Itu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $1,899 in Itu, rent included.

Medellin costs about 134% more than Itu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Itu is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$5.53 R$28.70

42.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$38.99 R$202

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.10 R$31.67

52.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$1.80 R$9.37

61.11%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.76 R$3.94

138.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.47 R$2.43

229.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.37 R$12.33

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$4.49 R$23.32

30.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.08 R$5.59

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.40 R$7.28

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.16 R$6.02

30.17%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.64 R$13.71

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$8.63 R$44.83

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$3.76 R$19.54

183.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$5.85 R$30.40

150.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.69 R$8.78

134.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.31 R$6.81

5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$0.75 R$3.90

206.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.81 R$9.42

11.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.92 R$4.79

127.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.36 R$7.06

19.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.79 R$4.12

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.46 R$2.40

171.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$2.76 R$14.32

46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.60 R$29.07

140.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.63 R$8.48

-1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.90 R$15.07

3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.94 R$4.86

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$45.52 R$236

75.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.93 R$4.83

73.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.98 R$5.10

117.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$9.26 R$48.06

-7.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.94 R$4.88

43.62%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$23.0K R$119.6K

22.94%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$26.5K R$137.4K

34.89%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$44.96 R$233

236.70%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$11.71 R$60.8

11.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$16.53 R$85.8

95.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$25.07 R$130

84.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$26.26 R$136

-34.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$4.88 R$25.33

31.76%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$421 R$2,184

98.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$7,380 R$38.3K

20.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$48.33 R$251

84.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$37.74 R$196

46.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$67.3 R$349

102.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$47.41 R$246

130.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$308 R$1,597

209.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$192 R$997

247.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$759 R$3,943

166.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$640 R$3,325

79.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,612 R$8,373

129.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,158 R$6,014

36.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$283 R$1,468

121.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.12

-6.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Itu: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $308 in Itu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 121% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Itu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $170 – making Itu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,687 in Medellin, $722 in Itu – roughly 134% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $1,083 in Itu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Itu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,687 in Medellin and $722 in Itu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itu, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Medellin at $1,687. In Itu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $722 in Itu to $1,687 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.