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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,082 in Kruje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,647 in Kruje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,211 in Kruje.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 5% less than in Kruje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kruje 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$9.40 ALL 768

-37.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$36.59 ALL 2,988

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.90 ALL 564

4.35%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.97 ALL 161

-13.71%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.59 ALL 130

-30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.80 ALL 65.7

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.34 ALL 191

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.25 ALL 265

-4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$2.03 ALL 166

-47.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.93 ALL 76.0

34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.97 ALL 160

-29.44%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.03 ALL 247

-25.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.04 ALL 820

-56.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.92 ALL 647

-26.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.35 ALL 1,090

-33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.76 ALL 143

27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.35 ALL 192

-54.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.65 ALL 135

-7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.40 ALL 114

-2.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.01 ALL 82.6

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.22 ALL 99.8

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.11 ALL 90.6

-23.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.72 ALL 58.9

26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.10 ALL 335

-43.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$10.31 ALL 842

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.59 ALL 130

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.77 ALL 144

33.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.45 ALL 36.62

75.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$18.58 ALL 1,517

121.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.58 ALL 292

-59.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$3.21 ALL 262

-40.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$18.01 ALL 1,470

-55.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.05 ALL 167

-54.15%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$34.3K ALL 2.8M

-47.74%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$25.1K ALL 2.0M

6.72%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$68.3 ALL 5,580

22.86%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.21 ALL 1,406

-44.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$16.03 ALL 1,309

50.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$56.1 ALL 4,580

-53.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$25.48 ALL 2,081

-25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$8.27 ALL 675

-52.60%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$159 ALL 13.0K

92.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,631 ALL 459.8K

5.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$46.73 ALL 3,815

23.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$51.1 ALL 4,174

-37.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$94.4 ALL 7,706

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$128 ALL 10.5K

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$444 ALL 36.3K

9.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$345 ALL 28.2K

6.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$612 ALL 50.0K

34.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$441 ALL 36.0K

62.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,835 ALL 149.8K

59.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,136 ALL 92.7K

23.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$656 ALL 53.5K

-16.80%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kruje: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $444 in Kruje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kruje pays 20% 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,082 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kruje earns 20% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $444 in Kruje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,082 in Kruje – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 121% less than in Kruje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,082 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 5% less than in Kruje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.