Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kish Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kish

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $547 in Kish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $859 in Kish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,170 in Kish.

Living in Medellin is roughly 207% more expensive than in Kish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kish is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.56 $5.56

44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$15.77 $15.77

203.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.45 $4.45

122.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 $0.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.27 $1.27

146.46%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.51 $0.51

274.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.02 $1.02

48.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.67 $0.67

114.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.47 $0.47

429.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.95 $1.95

-9.23%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.26 $1.26

134.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$3.96 $3.96

154.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.46 $3.46

192.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.12 $9.12

56.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.01 $1.01

309.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.65 $1.65

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.79 $0.79

184.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.57 $0.57

294.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.61 $0.61

234.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.44 $0.44

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.55 $0.55

112.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.26 $0.26

403.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.62 $0.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.98 $1.98

96.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.18 $0.18

577.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$8.42 $8.42

855.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.48 $0.48

172.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.32 $0.32

584.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.05 $2.05

324.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.08 $0.08

1612.50%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$47.1K $47.1K

-40.90%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$40.7K $40.7K

-12.20%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$13.94 $13.94

1171.88%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$1.49 $1.49

831.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$3.72 $3.72

698.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$17.39 $17.39

158.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$12.84 $12.84

33.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$1.93 $1.93

244.56%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$114 $114

614.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,402 $1,402

555.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$21.53 $21.53

315.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$27.76 $27.76

112.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$94.6 $94.6

46.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$73.1 $73.1

39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$285 $285

273.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$203 $203

226.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$661 $661

185.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$338 $338

203.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,285 $1,285

225.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$549 $549

204.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$412 $412

64.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

23.21

-52.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kish: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $285 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 65% 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 $16.00 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $110 per month, with Kish 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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kish differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $547 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $285 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $547 in Kish versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 207% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.