Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marabella Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marabella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $772 in Marabella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,324 in Marabella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,875 in Marabella.

Living in Medellin is roughly 118% more expensive than in Marabella, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Marabella is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.51 TTD 70.7

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$59.2 TTD 398

-19.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.95 TTD 53.5

24.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.83 TTD 25.75

-18.28%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.05 TTD 7.04

81.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.75 TTD 5.06

101.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.79 TTD 12.06

74.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.62 TTD 17.63

119.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.96 TTD 13.20

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.24 TTD 15.05

11.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.79 TTD 18.80

-36.56%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.85 TTD 25.89

-23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.82 TTD 45.90

47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.93 TTD 66.8

1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.09 TTD 61.1

57.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.61 TTD 37.74

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.46 TTD 16.57

-34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.78 TTD 25.40

-40.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.35 TTD 29.25

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.71 TTD 4.80

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.70 TTD 4.74

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.43 TTD 9.65

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.15 TTD 7.71

13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.52 TTD 37.13

-29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$17.55 TTD 118

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.48 TTD 9.96

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.07 TTD 20.63

-6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.92 TTD 6.21

42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.91 TTD 6.11

140.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$14.83 TTD 99.8

-41.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.17 TTD 7.89

17.09%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$37.0K TTD 249.3K

-24.87%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$41.3K TTD 277.8K

-13.37%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$43.95 TTD 296

303.41%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$42.94 TTD 289

-67.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$44.80 TTD 301

-33.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.88 TTD 59.8

-25.11%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$405 TTD 2,722

100.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.8K TTD 72.8K

-15.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$54.9 TTD 369

63.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.50 TTD 246

61.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$86.8 TTD 584

59.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$86.8 TTD 584

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.75

90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Marabella: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $59.0 in Marabella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $317 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 Marabella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Marabella differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $772 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,159 in Marabella 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.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $772 in Marabella – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $772 in Marabella versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marabella but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marabella 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 Marabella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.