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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $555 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $765 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $976 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Living in Medellin is roughly 83% more expensive than Mariano Roque Alonso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Mariano Roque Alonso 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.33 ₲26.4K

38.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$22.38 ₲136.4K

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.68 ₲22.4K

92.66%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.48 ₲9,015

15.54%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.65 ₲3,931

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.37 ₲2,280

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.42 ₲8,653

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$0.77 ₲4,669

298.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.81 ₲4,920

34.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.95 ₲5,818

32.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.83 ₲5,064

66.27%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.59 ₲9,685

37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.92 ₲30.0K

-10.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.26 ₲19.9K

72.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$5.47 ₲33.4K

62.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.55 ₲9,466

50.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.50 ₲3,048

112.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.65 ₲3,984

130.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.54 ₲9,378

-10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.11 ₲6,785

3.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.51 ₲3,121

127.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.52 ₲3,186

71.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.36 ₲2,200

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.35 ₲8,228

68.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$6.20 ₲37.8K

71.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.70 ₲4,241

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$0.85 ₲5,178

190.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.41 ₲2,502

109.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$38.53 ₲234.8K

7.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.66 ₲4,004

122.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.74 ₲4,500

164.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$8.92 ₲54.3K

-13.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.82 ₲4,984

15.85%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$13.8K ₲84.1M

31.43%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$22.3K ₲135.8M

18.89%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$38.44 ₲234.3K

113.97%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.89 ₲84.6K

-31.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$14.80 ₲90.2K

63.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$21.14 ₲128.8K

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.29 ₲26.1K

-8.39%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$165 ₲1.0M

87.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$913 ₲5.6M

553.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$44.06 ₲268.5K

33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$30.96 ₲188.7K

4.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$63.5 ₲386.7K

61.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$50.1 ₲305.1K

116.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$189 ₲1.2M

151.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$126 ₲769.3K

200.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$822 ₲5.0M

-37.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.17

32.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mariano Roque Alonso: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $189 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mariano Roque Alonso pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Mariano Roque Alonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $124 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 83% 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, Mariano Roque Alonso earns 61% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $189 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mariano Roque Alonso runs roughly 7% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $165 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $555 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,013 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 $555 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 83% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.