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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $491 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $778 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,064 in Qena, rent included.

Medellin costs about 104% more than Qena, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Qena 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.84 E£193

53.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$15.69 E£789

110.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.90 E£297

25.93%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.65 E£83.2

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.35 E£17.54

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.15 E£7.64

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.03 E£102

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.62 E£132

21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.93 E£46.99

18.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.57 E£28.84

121.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.70 E£35.17

97.14%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.18 E£109

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$3.55 E£179

26.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$6.53 E£329

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.13 E£509

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.33 E£66.7

74.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.43 E£21.82

146.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.43 E£21.53

253.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.62 E£31.04

119.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.49 E£24.85

130.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.57 E£28.71

105.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.30 E£15.11

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.18 E£9.04

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.02 E£101

10.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$7.38 E£371

64.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.20 E£60.6

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.77 E£88.9

40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.21 E£10.32

304.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.42 E£21.00

238.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.15 E£7.55

1200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$1.97 E£99.0

300.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.33 E£16.54

200.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$17.4K E£874.0K

1.30%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-18.79%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$25.92 E£1,304

220.25%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$6.45 E£324

50.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$12.50 E£629

88.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$21.89 E£1,101

15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$3.50 E£176

12.86%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$97.9 E£4,924

222.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$590 E£29.7K

912.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$11.18 E£563

436.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$19.37 E£974

64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$107 E£5,393

-5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$50.4 E£2,537

113.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$190 E£9,547

150.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$101 E£5,099

268.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$312 E£15.7K

172.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$179 E£8,981

302.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$842 E£42.3K

287.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$437 E£22.0K

229.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $190 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: $193 vs $145 – 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 104%, 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $737 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 34% 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 $491, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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.