Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mariano Roque Alonso Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mariano Roque Alonso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $562 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $950 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,337 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Living in Medellin is roughly 205% more expensive than in Mariano Roque Alonso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Mariano Roque Alonso is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$6.78 ₲40.3K

18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$34.13 ₲203.0K

41.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.94 ₲41.3K

40.78%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.33 ₲19.8K

-12.61%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.11 ₲6,615

74.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.58 ₲3,464

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.98 ₲11.8K

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.86 ₲11.1K

208.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.17 ₲6,928

16.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.87 ₲5,181

174.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.26 ₲7,509

34.92%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.43 ₲14.4K

18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.79 ₲52.3K

13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.04 ₲30.0K

113.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$7.89 ₲46.9K

86.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.01 ₲11.9K

103.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.65 ₲3,858

141.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.84 ₲4,980

153.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.07 ₲12.3K

6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.35 ₲8,042

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.26 ₲7,513

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.70 ₲4,137

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.71 ₲4,213

63.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.33 ₲13.9K

67.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$4.14 ₲24.6K

248.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.94 ₲5,591

68.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.68 ₲9,982

68.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.58 ₲3,476

101.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.44 ₲8,548

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.47 ₲8,769

42.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$10.00 ₲59.4K

-13.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.22 ₲7,248

6.56%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$16.7K ₲99.1M

65.92%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$35.0K ₲208.2M

1.41%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$49.31 ₲293.3K

257.07%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$17.19 ₲102.2K

-22.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$20.16 ₲119.9K

48.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$30.93 ₲183.9K

44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.60 ₲39.3K

-6.06%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$178 ₲1.1M

344.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,236 ₲7.3M

629.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$41.54 ₲247.0K

106.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$55.1 ₲327.9K

6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$85.9 ₲510.6K

58.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$70.3 ₲418.0K

46.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$849 ₲5.0M

-21.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mariano Roque Alonso: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mariano Roque Alonso pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Mariano Roque Alonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $172 per month, with Mariano Roque Alonso 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 Mariano Roque Alonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mariano Roque Alonso wins on cost – living expenses run 205% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mariano Roque Alonso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Mariano Roque Alonso. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $178 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mariano Roque Alonso – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $562 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mariano Roque Alonso but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mariano Roque Alonso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mariano Roque Alonso delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $562 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mariano Roque Alonso hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mariano Roque Alonso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.