Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kolonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolonia: $1,511 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kolonia

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kolonia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Kolonia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,511 in Kolonia.

Medellin $1,639
Kolonia $1,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,267 in Kolonia.

Medellin $2,413
Kolonia $2,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,022 in Kolonia.

Medellin $3,186
Kolonia $3,022

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than in Kolonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Kolonia 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.17 $10.17

-20.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$24.73 $24.73

90.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$9.86 $9.86

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$4.42 $4.42

-31.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.98 $0.98

83.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.23 $1.23

158.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.98 $1.98

190.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.97 $1.97

20.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.21 $1.21

46.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$7.18 $7.18

-59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$24.12 $24.12

-59.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$66.3 $66.3

-78.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$6.67 $6.67

-40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.14 $2.14

-27.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$6.76 $6.76

-67.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$11.22 $11.22

-80.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$13.15 $13.15

-85.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$5.85 $5.85

-80.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.98 $1.98

-37.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.98 $8.98

52.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.48 $1.48

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.52 $1.52

48.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.40 $1.40

-3.57%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$197 $197

-13.86%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$14.99 $14.99

191.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$695 $695

73.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$504 $504

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,017 $1,017

99.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$810 $810

24.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kolonia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kolonia

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kolonia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kolonia

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kolonia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kolonia

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kolonia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kolonia

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $695 in Kolonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $25 in Kolonia. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $617, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇫🇲 Kolonia

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

6,074

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kolonia 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kolonia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kolonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonia wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $2,267 in Kolonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $695 in Kolonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,511 in Kolonia – Kolonia is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kolonia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.