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 $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,010 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,645 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,281 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

Medellin and Paso de los Libres have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Paso de los Libres are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Paso de los Libres 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.38 ARS 14.9K

-42.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$33.66 ARS 48.4K

-2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.97 ARS 12.9K

-20.96%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.65 ARS 3,817

-35.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.64 ARS 2,361

-32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.56 ARS 2,241

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.09 ARS 3,004

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.05 ARS 4,388

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.31 ARS 1,889

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.65 ARS 2,371

-23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.05 ARS 2,945

-32.68%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.19 ARS 3,148

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.05 ARS 14.5K

-56.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.09 ARS 8,764

-7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.64 ARS 13.9K

-7.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.95 ARS 2,811

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.13 ARS 3,065

-50.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.26 ARS 1,810

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$2.65 ARS 3,808

-47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.18 ARS 1,701

-2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.24 ARS 1,789

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.32 ARS 1,903

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.47 ARS 2,115

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.08 ARS 4,425

-25.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$4.39 ARS 6,321

142.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$2.07 ARS 2,976

-42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.20 ARS 4,597

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.82 ARS 1,182

4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$27.72 ARS 39.9K

49.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.53 ARS 2,196

-3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.90 ARS 1,295

117.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.13 ARS 8,815

26.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.06 ARS 1,528

-10.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$27.3K ARS 39.3M

-33.56%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$30.3K ARS 43.6M

-12.64%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$66.4 ARS 95.6K

23.81%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.22 ARS 24.8K

-44.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$22.18 ARS 31.9K

9.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$25.77 ARS 37.1K

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.89 ARS 20.0K

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.07 ARS 8,737

-35.26%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$219 ARS 315.2K

41.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,699 ARS 3.9M

121.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$75.2 ARS 108.1K

-21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$70.0 ARS 100.6K

-53.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$114 ARS 163.4K

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$110 ARS 158.8K

-1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$332 ARS 477.5K

43.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$240 ARS 345.3K

57.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$671 ARS 965.1K

24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$541 ARS 778.7K

33.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,171 ARS 3.1M

28.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Paso de los Libres: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $332 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: $188 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,514 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.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Paso de los Libres. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $1,010, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.