Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Poipet Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Poipet

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $480 in Poipet, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $758 in Poipet, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,035 in Poipet, rent included.

Medellin costs about 115% more than Poipet, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Poipet are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Poipet 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.52 ៛10.2K

144.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$19.80 ៛79.8K

64.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.97 ៛24.1K

22.95%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.60 ៛6,432

7.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.70 ៛2,812

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.50 ៛2,027

54.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.99 ៛3,974

70.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.86 ៛7,508

70.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.74 ៛7,001

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.42 ៛5,735

-8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.30 ៛5,238

7.69%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.55 ៛6,259

39.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$14.89 ៛60.0K

-70.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.51 ៛14.2K

67.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.36 ៛41.8K

-16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$3.55 ៛14.3K

-35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.09 ៛4,377

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.27 ៛13.2K

-53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.26 ៛5,071

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.30 ៛5,254

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.89 ៛3,583

26.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.29 ៛5,211

-34.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.70 ៛2,818

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.83 ៛7,374

27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$7.46 ៛30.1K

65.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.79 ៛3,168

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.05 ៛8,252

21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.97 ៛3,920

97.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.90 ៛19.7K

56.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.12 ៛4,527

-11.61%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$74.5 ៛300.5K

8.41%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.88 ៛23.7K

69.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$19.38 ៛78.1K

24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.59 ៛26.6K

-39.61%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$403 ៛1.6M

-24.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,065 ៛20.4M

19.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$34.39 ៛138.6K

69.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$18.09 ៛72.9K

78.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$54.9 ៛221.3K

83.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$36.65 ៛147.7K

194.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.2

45.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Poipet: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Poipet. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $222 in Poipet – so Medellin 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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 115%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. 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 $720 in Poipet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Poipet. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Poipet, where all-in costs run around $480, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Poipet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Poipet – 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 Poipet. 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.