Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quatre Bornes Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quatre Bornes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $809 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,288 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,767 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Medellin costs about 108% more than Quatre Bornes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Quatre Bornes is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.41 MUR 208

81.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$21.25 MUR 1,001

125.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.44 MUR 303

53.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.39 MUR 113

30.96%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.88 MUR 41.28

117.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.49 MUR 23.01

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.69 MUR 127

15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.30 MUR 156

74.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.31 MUR 61.5

9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.50 MUR 23.69

398.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.15 MUR 54.0

53.91%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.94 MUR 91.6

52.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$2.91 MUR 137

246.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.80 MUR 179

166.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.47 MUR 399

68.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.74 MUR 129

51.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.60 MUR 122

-38.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.44 MUR 67.9

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.00 MUR 142

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.94 MUR 44.14

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.94 MUR 44.22

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.70 MUR 33.20

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.90 MUR 42.32

45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.10 MUR 287

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.51 MUR 401

64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.63 MUR 76.9

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.26 MUR 107

26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.73 MUR 34.29

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.35 MUR 205

-69.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.24 MUR 153

-32.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$20.85 MUR 983

-58.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.33 MUR 62.7

3.01%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.1K MUR 899.8K

45.80%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$28.1K MUR 1.3M

27.43%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$31.75 MUR 1,497

458.43%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.51 MUR 495

32.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.29 MUR 1,380

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$28.84 MUR 1,359

55.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$8.27 MUR 390

107.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.20 MUR 292

7.26%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$121 MUR 5,692

573.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,798 MUR 367.5K

17.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$77.4 MUR 3,649

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$73.9 MUR 3,481

-20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$119 MUR 5,606

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$76.7 MUR 3,614

33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$324 MUR 15.3K

228.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$222 MUR 10.5K

198.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$655 MUR 30.9K

188.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$440 MUR 20.8K

133.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,128 MUR 53.1K

270.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$513 MUR 24.2K

32.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $324 in Quatre Bornes. 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 32% 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 $21.00 in Quatre Bornes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $182 – making Quatre Bornes 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 Quatre Bornes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 108%, 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 $1,214 in Quatre Bornes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quatre Bornes, 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 $21.00 in Quatre Bornes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quatre Bornes, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Quatre Bornes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quatre Bornes – 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 Quatre Bornes. 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.