Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nasr City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nasr City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $484 in Nasr City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $756 in Nasr City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,027 in Nasr City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 109% more than Nasr City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Nasr City are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Nasr City 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.53 E£183

69.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$15.96 E£829

105.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.41 E£281

31.05%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.45 E£75.2

17.93%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.31 E£16.14

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.12 E£6.42

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.21 E£62.6

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.98 E£155

3.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.85 E£44.08

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.58 E£30.03

117.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.69 E£35.99

100.00%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.41 E£73.2

55.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.97 E£206

10.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.36 E£226

29.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.02 E£468

-1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.44 E£74.7

62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.55 E£28.48

92.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.39 E£20.48

284.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.40 E£20.60

245.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.40 E£20.82

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.40 E£20.76

190.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.23 E£11.75

286.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.18 E£9.21

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.81 E£93.8

25.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.92 E£307

79.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.31 E£68.0

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.79 E£92.7

37.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.17 E£9.05

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$6.96 E£361

494.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.39 E£19.99

276.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.22 E£11.68

790.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.01 E£104

285.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.33 E£17.35

187.88%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$32.0K E£1.7M

-43.37%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$32.6K E£1.7M

-18.87%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$25.21 E£1,309

226.26%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$6.00 E£311

58.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$11.03 E£573

119.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$23.57 E£1,223

9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$1.94 E£101

879.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.97 E£154

32.32%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$89.6 E£4,650

245.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,968 E£102.2K

203.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$27.49 E£1,427

113.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$49.08 E£2,547

-34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$111 E£5,739

-7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$51.3 E£2,663

111.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$402 E£20.9K

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$98.2 E£5,097

285.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$256 E£13.3K

227.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$134 E£6,938

441.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$977 E£50.7K

185.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$380 E£19.7K

218.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$181 E£9,401

182.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nasr City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $402 in Nasr City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 183% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Nasr City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $125 – making Nasr City 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 Nasr City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 109%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $727 in Nasr City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nasr City, 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 $16.00 in Nasr City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $484 in Nasr City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nasr City, where all-in costs run around $484, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Nasr City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nasr City – 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 Nasr City. 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.