Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mercedes Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mercedes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,300 in Mercedes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,012 in Mercedes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,725 in Mercedes, rent included.

Medellin costs about 26% more than Mercedes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Mercedes is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$14.87 UYU 598

-45.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$63.2 UYU 2,543

-23.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$13.19 UYU 531

-28.58%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.60 UYU 185

-36.09%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.68 UYU 108

-30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.90 UYU 76.4

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.73 UYU 191

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.76 UYU 151

51.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.35 UYU 54.2

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.81 UYU 113

-14.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.43 UYU 57.5

18.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.80 UYU 113

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.87 UYU 558

-27.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$11.66 UYU 469

-14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.52 UYU 303

88.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.00 UYU 80.3

99.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.48 UYU 99.8

-36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.15 UYU 46.42

86.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.90 UYU 117

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.07 UYU 83.5

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.06 UYU 82.9

-26.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.40 UYU 56.2

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.72 UYU 69.1

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.11 UYU 206

-24.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.03 UYU 323

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.36 UYU 95.2

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.77 UYU 111

-1.08%

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

$1.88 UYU 75.5

-30.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.44 UYU 17.55

393.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$10.69 UYU 430

-22.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.14 UYU 86.1

-36.45%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$27.0K UYU 1.1M

1.94%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$37.5K UYU 1.5M

-2.57%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$188 UYU 7,581

-10.41%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.26 UYU 695

-21.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$44.75 UYU 1,802

-36.72%

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

$11.96 UYU 482

-44.40%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$629 UYU 25.3K

27.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.5K UYU 422.9K

-12.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$95.7 UYU 3,853

-8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$56.3 UYU 2,268

5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$121 UYU 4,860

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$130 UYU 5,223

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$565 UYU 22.7K

89.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$303 UYU 12.2K

115.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$633 UYU 25.5K

204.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$443 UYU 17.8K

136.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,044 UYU 122.5K

35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,023 UYU 81.4K

-16.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.49

99.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $565 in Mercedes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $63.0 in Mercedes. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $295 in Mercedes – so Mercedes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. 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 $1,950 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mercedes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $63.0 in Mercedes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mercedes. 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.