Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Masaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Masaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $790 in Masaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,260 in Masaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,729 in Masaya, rent included.

Medellin costs about 108% more than Masaya, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Masaya is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.08 NIO 369

-20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$36.77 NIO 1,347

31.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.66 NIO 280

22.98%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.51 NIO 92.1

17.13%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.83 NIO 30.34

124.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.72 NIO 26.40

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.44 NIO 52.9

122.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.96 NIO 71.9

191.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.24 NIO 45.27

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.29 NIO 83.9

4.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.71 NIO 62.5

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.36 NIO 86.5

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.49 NIO 421

-12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.52 NIO 239

52.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.30 NIO 268

94.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.64 NIO 133

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.57 NIO 21.04

177.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.75 NIO 64.0

22.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.18 NIO 79.9

5.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$4.03 NIO 147

-50.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.26 NIO 82.8

-33.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.01 NIO 36.97

18.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.07 NIO 39.11

19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.68 NIO 98.1

43.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.59 NIO 534

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.46 NIO 53.5

17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.35 NIO 85.9

16.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.65 NIO 60.4

-20.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.67 NIO 61.2

29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.86 NIO 251

20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 NIO 48.65

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.2K NIO 849.3K

18.48%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.1K NIO 955.3K

40.08%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$117 NIO 4,283

44.27%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$16.75 NIO 613

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$36.65 NIO 1,342

-22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.33 NIO 305

-20.17%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$237 NIO 8,673

239.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,955 NIO 218.1K

54.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$71.2 NIO 2,607

22.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$72.1 NIO 2,642

-17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$135 NIO 4,935

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$107 NIO 3,904

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.25

6.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Masaya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Masaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $255 – making Masaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 108%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,185 in Masaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $37.00 in Masaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Masaya, where all-in costs run around $790, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Masaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Masaya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Masaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.