Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $493 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $772 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,052 in Qena, rent included.

Medellin costs about 110% more than Qena, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Qena 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.93 E£209

50.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$15.55 E£824

110.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.08 E£322

18.42%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.62 E£85.8

4.94%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.35 E£18.47

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.14 E£7.66

414.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.02 E£107

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.64 E£140

17.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.00 E£53.2

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.58 E£30.64

115.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.71 E£37.54

95.77%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.08 E£110

8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$3.40 E£180

27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.43 E£341

-9.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.82 E£520

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.34 E£70.8

67.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.43 E£22.93

151.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.42 E£22.48

264.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.62 E£32.70

120.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.49 E£26.19

130.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.54 E£28.51

107.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.30 E£15.97

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.20 E£10.64

355.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.93 E£102

20.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.46 E£396

49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.20 E£63.8

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.83 E£97.2

29.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.21 E£10.90

276.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.39 E£20.57

269.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.14 E£7.58

1264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.01 E£106

299.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.35 E£18.76

168.57%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$17.7K E£937.2K

1.36%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$32.9K E£1.7M

-18.58%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$25.92 E£1,374

223.92%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$6.56 E£348

46.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$12.70 E£673

90.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.24 E£1,179

16.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$3.38 E£179

15.98%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$100 E£5,308

205.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$595 E£31.5K

894.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$11.35 E£602

410.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$19.58 E£1,038

62.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$107 E£5,666

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$50.4 E£2,669

112.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$192 E£10.2K

153.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$97.7 E£5,176

276.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$305 E£16.1K

171.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$181 E£9,600

295.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$667 E£35.4K

338.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$368 E£19.5K

282.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $192 in Qena. 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 $16.00 in Qena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $144 – making Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 110%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $739 in Qena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qena, 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 $16.00 in Qena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qena, where all-in costs run around $493, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Qena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qena – 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 Qena. 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.