Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Paradera

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Paradera

🇦🇼 Aruba

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.4K

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,940

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

$1.83 COP 5,843

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,393

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,744

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,634

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,552

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,368

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,145

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,778

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,943

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,365

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,159

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,235

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,597

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,984

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,424

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,581

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,856

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,211

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,145

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

$28.0K COP 89.4M

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

$35.4K COP 113.1M

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

$172 COP 549.7K

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

$13.37 COP 42.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.1K

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

$770 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 276.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 436.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 13.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Paradera: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Paradera

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Paradera

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Paradera

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Paradera

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Paradera

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Paradera

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Paradera

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇼 Paradera

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,834

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.501 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Paradera 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Paradera

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Paradera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Paradera – 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 Paradera. 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.