Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jalalabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jalalabad

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $470 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $643 in Jalalabad, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $815 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Medellin costs about 120% more than Jalalabad, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Jalalabad are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Jalalabad 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.20 ؋141

169.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$7.08 ؋454

362.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.48 ؋223

106.90%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$0.70 ؋44.52

142.86%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.82 ؋52.3

29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.35 ؋22.16

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.70 ؋109

-18.24%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.53 ؋98.2

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.17 ؋331

-16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.55 ؋163

129.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$5.88 ؋377

50.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.56 ؋35.73

300.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.55 ؋35.00

96.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.70 ؋45.14

118.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.42 ؋26.87

226.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.37 ؋23.87

205.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.30 ؋19.41

273.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.30 ؋19.29

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.28 ؋17.66

225.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.09 ؋262

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ؋45.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ؋66.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.11 ؋135

10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.14 ؋8.84

464.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$9.92 ؋635

314.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.73 ؋47.00

97.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.41 ؋26.49

365.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.45 ؋93.0

453.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.00 ؋63.8

-6.00%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$7,895 ؋505.6K

126.99%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$21.36 ؋1,368

293.07%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$213 ؋13.6K

-88.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$7.11 ؋455

263.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$4.21 ؋270

352.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$1.45 ؋92.9

170.34%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$14.42 ؋924

2024.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,135 ؋72.7K

421.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$17.45 ؋1,118

231.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$14.40 ؋922

120.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$21.26 ؋1,361

369.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$29.25 ؋1,873

266.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$109 ؋6,998

345.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$43.46 ؋2,783

746.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$219 ؋14.0K

277.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$116 ؋7,430

517.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$477 ؋30.6K

513.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$244 ؋15.7K

475.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$192 ؋12.3K

184.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

13.88

-3.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $109 in Jalalabad. 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 184% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $7.00 in Jalalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $88.0 – making Jalalabad 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 Jalalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Medellin, $470 in Jalalabad – roughly 120% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $705 in Jalalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 116% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $7.00 in Jalalabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jalalabad, where all-in costs run around $470, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Jalalabad 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 $470 in Jalalabad to $1,034 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Jalalabad. 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.