Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kruje Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kruje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,097 in Kruje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,638 in Kruje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,180 in Kruje.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Kruje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kruje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$9.31 ALL 761

-36.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$36.56 ALL 2,987

-8.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.24 ALL 592

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.94 ALL 158

-15.98%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.64 ALL 134

-33.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.88 ALL 71.9

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.29 ALL 187

-24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.32 ALL 271

-2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.99 ALL 163

-47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.93 ALL 76.1

38.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.02 ALL 165

-34.65%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$3.00 ALL 245

-24.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.73 ALL 795

-55.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.79 ALL 637

-24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$13.41 ALL 1,095

-35.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.77 ALL 145

27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.43 ALL 198

-55.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.71 ALL 140

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.39 ALL 113

2.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.05 ALL 86.0

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.18 ALL 96.7

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.10 ALL 90.2

-19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.78 ALL 63.5

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.14 ALL 338

-45.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.13 ALL 828

8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.63 ALL 133

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.75 ALL 143

36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.48 ALL 39.52

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$18.54 ALL 1,515

126.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.52 ALL 287

-59.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$3.08 ALL 251

-38.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$17.94 ALL 1,466

-56.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$2.17 ALL 177

-53.46%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$34.2K ALL 2.8M

-48.67%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

6.13%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$67.6 ALL 5,526

23.71%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.20 ALL 1,405

-45.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.61 ALL 1,275

54.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$55.9 ALL 4,565

-54.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$25.57 ALL 2,089

-25.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$8.39 ALL 686

-51.13%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$161 ALL 13.1K

94.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$5,608 ALL 458.2K

6.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$46.32 ALL 3,784

25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$50.9 ALL 4,157

-36.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$94.8 ALL 7,745

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$130 ALL 10.6K

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$452 ALL 37.0K

6.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$345 ALL 28.2K

9.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$613 ALL 50.1K

36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$435 ALL 35.5K

66.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,080 ALL 169.9K

36.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,235 ALL 100.9K

-0.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$660 ALL 53.9K

-18.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

235.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kruje: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $452 in Kruje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kruje pays 22% 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 $37.00 in Kruje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $246 per month, with Medellin 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 Kruje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kruje differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,097 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kruje earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $452 in Kruje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $1,097 in Kruje – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 126% less than in Kruje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,097 in Kruje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kruje. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Kruje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.