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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,060 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,177 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,294 in Miraflores, rent included.

Medellin is about 2% cheaper than Miraflores, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Miraflores are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Miraflores 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.08 PEN 14.35

45.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$32.68 PEN 115

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.14 PEN 18.08

40.08%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.65 PEN 9.34

-35.85%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.97 PEN 3.41

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.64 PEN 2.26

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.15 PEN 7.58

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.99 PEN 14.04

-22.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.28 PEN 4.49

-17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.09 PEN 3.83

14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.36 PEN 4.78

2.21%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.95 PEN 10.37

-23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.92 PEN 27.89

-45.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.73 PEN 20.19

1.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.65 PEN 30.44

2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.97 PEN 6.92

13.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.09 PEN 3.83

-0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.10 PEN 3.87

39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.14 PEN 4.00

20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.99 PEN 3.49

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.85 PEN 2.99

31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.81 PEN 2.86

4.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.57 PEN 2.01

59.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$5.44 PEN 19.16

-57.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.83 PEN 31.08

26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.69 PEN 5.96

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.75 PEN 9.67

-13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.27 PEN 0.95

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.36 PEN 11.82

-57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.11 PEN 7.44

-9.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$8.40 PEN 29.56

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.22 PEN 4.30

-22.95%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.8K PEN 69.6K

-9.40%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$24.0K PEN 84.6K

11.43%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$55.8 PEN 197

50.36%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$8.20 PEN 28.87

17.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$24.14 PEN 85.0

0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$32.80 PEN 115

-21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.08 PEN 24.94

-44.63%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$216 PEN 761

41.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,947 PEN 28.0K

-25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$49.48 PEN 174

17.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$35.70 PEN 126

-10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$89.3 PEN 314

11.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$83.8 PEN 295

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$659 PEN 2,320

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$495 PEN 1,744

-25.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,585 PEN 5,579

-47.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,483 PEN 8,739

17.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.11

32.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $659 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $192 – making Medellin 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 – Miraflores is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,589 in Miraflores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 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 1% more in Miraflores, 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 Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Miraflores at $1,060. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Miraflores it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Miraflores makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.