Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $620 in Moca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $995 in Moca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in Moca, rent included.

Medellin costs about 165% more than Moca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Moca is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$8.47 DOP 500

-5.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$42.60 DOP 2,512

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.09 DOP 418

32.86%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.80 DOP 106

63.33%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.68 DOP 40.22

173.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.42 DOP 24.51

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.62 DOP 154

22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.62 DOP 214

57.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.21 DOP 71.1

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.53 DOP 90.3

56.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.61 DOP 95.2

5.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.55 DOP 91.5

86.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.37 DOP 376

57.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.77 DOP 223

164.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.74 DOP 279

199.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.28 DOP 193

21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.86 DOP 50.8

83.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.82 DOP 167

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.87 DOP 110

22.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.07 DOP 122

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.20 DOP 129

-31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.96 DOP 56.5

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.98 DOP 58.0

30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.05 DOP 298

-23.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.79 DOP 636

29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.70 DOP 159

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.00 DOP 177

-8.67%

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

$2.57 DOP 151

-49.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.33 DOP 138

-6.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.82 DOP 343

42.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.35 DOP 79.6

0.74%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$15.5K DOP 915.7K

76.89%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$25.3K DOP 1.5M

44.53%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$94.2 DOP 5,556

79.05%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$27.21 DOP 1,605

-50.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$36.50 DOP 2,152

-22.41%

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

$5.05 DOP 298

31.68%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$150 DOP 8,869

434.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,622 DOP 331.5K

63.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$26.80 DOP 1,580

225.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$45.99 DOP 2,712

29.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$62.8 DOP 3,704

121.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$68.2 DOP 4,023

49.55%

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

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Moca: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Moca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $202 – making Moca 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 Moca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 165%, 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 $930 in Moca. 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 $43.00 in Moca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Moca, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Moca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moca – 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 Moca. 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.