Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Necochea Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Necochea

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,190 in Necochea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,013 in Necochea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,837 in Necochea, rent included.

Medellin costs about 44% more than Necochea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Necochea is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$14.73 ARS 22.2K

-45.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$47.60 ARS 71.8K

1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$12.46 ARS 18.8K

-21.59%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.42 ARS 5,161

-14.91%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.96 ARS 2,962

-1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$1.93 ARS 2,911

-21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$3.79 ARS 5,723

-18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.74 ARS 5,634

53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.26 ARS 1,894

7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$2.36 ARS 3,566

1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.74 ARS 2,619

-2.30%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.73 ARS 4,121

5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$8.67 ARS 13.1K

14.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$5.90 ARS 8,901

82.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$12.88 ARS 19.4K

14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.50 ARS 3,772

63.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.33 ARS 3,508

-32.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.31 ARS 1,982

62.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.05 ARS 3,098

7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.12 ARS 1,689

83.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.97 ARS 1,466

54.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.76 ARS 2,652

-32.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.52 ARS 2,289

-23.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.15 ARS 4,754

23.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$4.34 ARS 6,544

232.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.78 ARS 2,691

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.46 ARS 3,706

15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.91 ARS 1,368

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.41 ARS 2,122

-9.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.91 ARS 1,376

129.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$7.31 ARS 11.0K

17.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.19 ARS 1,788

9.24%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$24.6K ARS 37.1M

12.37%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$34.7K ARS 52.4M

2.23%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$96.2 ARS 145.1K

83.04%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$19.41 ARS 29.3K

-31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$24.14 ARS 36.4K

23.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$30.19 ARS 45.5K

48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$7.64 ARS 11.5K

-18.85%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$303 ARS 456.8K

161.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$3,797 ARS 5.7M

137.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$121 ARS 182.0K

-29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$70.2 ARS 105.8K

-16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$135 ARS 203.9K

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$135 ARS 203.5K

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$519 ARS 782.4K

104.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$304 ARS 458.7K

123.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,050 ARS 1.6M

91.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$760 ARS 1.1M

53.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,373 ARS 3.6M

73.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.56

-80.66%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Necochea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $519 in Necochea. 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 $48.00 in Necochea. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $243 in Necochea – so Necochea 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 Necochea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,785 in Necochea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Necochea, 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 $48.00 in Necochea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 Necochea, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Necochea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Necochea – 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 Necochea. 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.