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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $522 in Kish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $810 in Kish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,098 in Kish.

Living in Medellin is roughly 95% more expensive than Kish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kish 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.37 $4.37

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$15.62 $15.62

113.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.34 $3.34

116.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.14 $1.14

42.98%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.43 $0.43

153.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.93 $0.93

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.58 $0.58

81.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.52 $0.52

148.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.93 $1.93

-31.61%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.18 $1.18

92.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$3.48 $3.48

25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.23 $3.23

82.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.68 $9.68

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$0.91 $0.91

147.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.39 $1.39

-23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.87 $0.87

74.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.58 $0.58

144.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.51 $0.51

129.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.45 $0.45

160.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.56 $0.56

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.23 $0.23

291.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.66 $0.66

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.22 $2.22

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.22 $0.22

281.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$10.08 $10.08

316.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.34 $0.34

314.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.29 $0.29

555.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.94 $1.94

299.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.79 $0.79

27.85%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$71.8K $71.8K

-75.50%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$54.3K $54.3K

-51.16%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$15.50 $15.50

439.87%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$2.04 $2.04

363.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$5.83 $5.83

313.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$15.69 $15.69

61.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$12.38 $12.38

54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$1.52 $1.52

169.74%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$118 $118

165.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,965 $1,965

204.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$22.63 $22.63

156.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$24.64 $24.64

32.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$109 $109

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$68.8 $68.8

57.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$283 $283

70.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$202 $202

87.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$624 $624

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$323 $323

123.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,220 $1,220

132.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$586 $586

108.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$415 $415

30.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

22.24

-39.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kish: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $283 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 30% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $106 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 95% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $522 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 30% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $283 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% 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 $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Kish versus $1,017 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 95% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.