Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Martin Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Martin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,469 in Martin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,099 in Martin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,728 in Martin.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than in Martin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Martin 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$9.12 €7.95

-12.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$45.89 €40.00

4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.27 €8.08

6.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.95 €2.57

6.10%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.04 €1.78

-6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.35 €1.18

11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.19 €1.91

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.29 €2.00

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.07 €0.94

34.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.59 €1.39

56.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.11 €1.84

-16.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.60 €3.14

-17.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.11 €11.42

-23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.99 €6.97

26.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.47 €11.74

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.27 €1.10

225.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.79 €1.56

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.50 €2.18

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.28 €1.98

-1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.35 €1.18

51.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.56 €1.36

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.65 €1.44

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.91 €0.79

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.88 €5.12

-33.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.98 €4.34

181.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.07 €0.93

62.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.13 €1.85

34.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.41 €1.23

-13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$28.92 €25.21

178.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.75 €1.53

-25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.25 €1.09

75.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$23.06 €20.11

-62.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.76 €1.54

-22.16%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.5K €20.5K

18.24%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.4K €22.1K

40.88%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$306 €267

-42.02%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$20.43 €17.81

-32.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$12.81 €11.17

132.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$38.04 €33.16

17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.69 €17.16

-13.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.64 €8.40

-31.02%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$350 €305

132.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$11.1K €9,652

-17.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$73.9 €64.4

21.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$14.14 €12.33

317.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$80.0 €69.8

72.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$97.6 €85.1

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$520 €453

104.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$474 €413

39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$775 €675

143.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$711 €620

44.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,362 €2,059

77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,812 €1,579

-7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,581 €1,378

-57.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.79

188.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Martin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $520 in Martin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Martin pays 133% 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 $46.00 in Martin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $252 per month, with Martin 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 Martin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Martin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Martin. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $520 in Martin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,469 in Martin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Martin runs roughly 178% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,469 in Martin versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Martin but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Martin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Martin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Martin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Martin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.