Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Paso de los Libres Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Paso de los Libres

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $984 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,593 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $2,201 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

Medellin costs about 5% more than Paso de los Libres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Paso de los Libres are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Paso de los Libres 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.46 ARS 15.5K

-41.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$34.11 ARS 50.4K

-4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.79 ARS 13.0K

-16.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.74 ARS 4,052

-37.23%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.65 ARS 2,436

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.54 ARS 2,273

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.17 ARS 3,212

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.07 ARS 4,538

3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.27 ARS 1,873

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.56 ARS 2,312

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.97 ARS 2,907

-28.93%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.21 ARS 3,266

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.20 ARS 15.1K

-56.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.26 ARS 9,254

-6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.58 ARS 14.2K

-9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.03 ARS 3,003

12.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.06 ARS 3,051

-46.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.28 ARS 1,891

19.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.54 ARS 3,756

-46.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.19 ARS 1,760

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.19 ARS 1,757

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.26 ARS 1,867

-32.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.43 ARS 2,108

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.05 ARS 4,507

-23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.09 ARS 7,519

143.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.06 ARS 3,044

-41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.05 ARS 4,513

-18.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.83 ARS 1,231

1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$27.65 ARS 40.9K

46.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.49 ARS 2,201

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.86 ARS 1,275

123.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.93 ARS 8,769

29.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.06 ARS 1,572

-6.60%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.8K ARS 41.1M

-35.17%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$30.4K ARS 44.9M

-12.41%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$67.8 ARS 100.2K

19.19%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.44 ARS 25.8K

-42.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$22.74 ARS 33.6K

6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$25.91 ARS 38.3K

-3.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.03 ARS 20.7K

36.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.34 ARS 9,363

-37.22%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$222 ARS 328.5K

37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,711 ARS 4.0M

123.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$73.0 ARS 107.9K

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$68.3 ARS 101.0K

-52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$115 ARS 170.7K

-12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$111 ARS 164.8K

-3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$338 ARS 499.7K

40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$234 ARS 346.4K

60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$683 ARS 1.0M

23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$531 ARS 785.1K

37.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,531 ARS 3.7M

27.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,406 ARS 2.1M

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Paso de los Libres: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $338 in Paso de los Libres. 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 $34.00 in Paso de los Libres. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $231 – 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 Paso de los Libres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,476 in Paso de los Libres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paso de los Libres, 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 $34.00 in Paso de los Libres. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,031 in Medellin and $984 in Paso de los Libres. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Paso de los Libres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paso de los Libres – 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 Paso de los Libres. 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.