Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Miraflores Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Miraflores

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,118 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,245 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,371 in Miraflores, rent included.

Medellin costs about 47% more than Miraflores, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.55 PEN 15.25

76.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$33.31 PEN 112

44.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.48 PEN 18.36

71.90%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.37 PEN 11.31

-12.76%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.12 PEN 3.74

66.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.67 PEN 2.25

117.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.72 PEN 9.11

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.47 PEN 15.00

27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.30 PEN 4.36

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.15 PEN 3.87

108.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.35 PEN 4.52

25.93%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.93 PEN 9.84

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.14 PEN 30.65

10.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.93 PEN 19.89

68.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.94 PEN 33.33

42.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.04 PEN 6.84

95.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.11 PEN 3.71

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.44 PEN 4.81

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.21 PEN 4.07

90.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.97 PEN 3.26

106.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.91 PEN 3.06

65.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.85 PEN 2.85

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.57 PEN 1.91

124.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.02 PEN 20.18

-36.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.04 PEN 30.32

54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.75 PEN 5.88

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.89 PEN 9.69

-5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.29 PEN 0.97

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.06 PEN 13.61

-67.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.06 PEN 6.91

5.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.52 PEN 25.20

10.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.37 PEN 4.60

-0.73%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.1K PEN 74.2K

24.04%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.4K PEN 88.4K

38.52%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$58.5 PEN 196

188.61%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$8.76 PEN 29.35

54.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$28.22 PEN 94.6

0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$35.50 PEN 119

28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.53 PEN 25.25

-11.69%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$180 PEN 604

345.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.4K PEN 44.8K

-31.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$53.4 PEN 179

63.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$35.07 PEN 118

69.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$84.8 PEN 284

63.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$79.4 PEN 266

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$691 PEN 2,316

55.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$527 PEN 1,768

23.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,611 PEN 5,399

19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,520 PEN 8,446

63.63%

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

8.94

22.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $691 in Miraflores. 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 $33.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $205 – making Miraflores 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 Miraflores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 47%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,677 in Miraflores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miraflores, 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 $33.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 Miraflores, where all-in costs run around $1,118, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Miraflores it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miraflores – 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 Miraflores. 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.