Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Petropolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Petropolis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $980 in Petropolis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,487 in Petropolis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,993 in Petropolis, rent included.

Medellin costs about 72% more than Petropolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Petropolis is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.76 R$29.52

39.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$28.16 R$144

69.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.00 R$35.87

41.29%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.67 R$8.57

87.43%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.33 R$6.81

43.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.60 R$3.07

151.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.14 R$5.85

173.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.55 R$23.34

26.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.93 R$4.78

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.54 R$7.89

61.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.40 R$7.15

26.43%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.95 R$10.00

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.01 R$46.17

11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.09 R$20.96

147.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$9.53 R$48.83

50.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.61 R$8.23

157.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.17 R$5.99

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$0.88 R$4.52

155.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.20 R$6.14

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.68 R$3.48

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.78 R$3.99

97.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.52 R$2.68

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.56 R$2.87

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.12 R$10.84

83.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$5.82 R$29.80

140.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.02 R$5.25

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.34 R$6.87

114.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.05 R$5.40

16.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$49.32 R$253

63.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.15 R$5.91

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.93 R$4.75

135.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$7.64 R$39.15

14.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.20 R$6.14

14.17%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$20.5K R$104.9K

36.02%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$30.7K R$157.5K

16.42%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$70.8 R$363

150.49%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$9.61 R$49.25

44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$18.74 R$96.0

58.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$31.29 R$160

43.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$30.67 R$157

-44.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.84 R$35.06

-2.78%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$355 R$1,818

129.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$10.6K R$54.6K

-13.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$54.2 R$278

65.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$49.35 R$253

19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$87.7 R$449

57.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$68.5 R$351

49.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$514 R$2,632

106.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$393 R$2,014

68.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$820 R$4,203

130.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$628 R$3,218

63.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,724 R$14.0K

53.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,987 R$10.2K

-15.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$595 R$3,049

13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.87

-7.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $514 in Petropolis. 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 14% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Petropolis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $171 – making Petropolis 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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 72%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,470 in Petropolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Petropolis, 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 $28.00 in Petropolis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $980 in Petropolis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Petropolis, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Petropolis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Petropolis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Petropolis. 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.