Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quilmes

For one person, living is cheaper in Quilmes: $957 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Quilmes
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Quilmes Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Quilmes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quilmes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Quilmes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $957 in Quilmes, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Quilmes $957

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,615 in Quilmes, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Quilmes $1,615

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,273 in Quilmes, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Quilmes $2,273

Medellin costs about 71% more than Quilmes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Quilmes is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.55 ARS 8,581

45.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$35.20 ARS 54.4K

33.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.82 ARS 13.6K

7.71%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.93 ARS 4,521

2.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.71 ARS 2,645

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$1.63 ARS 2,511

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.90 ARS 6,019

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.29 ARS 3,535

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$0.97 ARS 1,502

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.58 ARS 2,436

50.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.58 ARS 2,435

12.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$2.28 ARS 3,524

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.31 ARS 20.6K

-23.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.11 ARS 9,439

61.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.80 ARS 15.1K

42.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.96 ARS 3,029

102.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.53 ARS 2,360

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.01 ARS 1,564

115.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.95 ARS 4,558

-26.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$0.92 ARS 1,419

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$0.64 ARS 994

148.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.72 ARS 1,116

59.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.69 ARS 1,064

79.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.99 ARS 7,704

-20.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$4.29 ARS 6,632

218.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$1.23 ARS 1,905

34.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$1.89 ARS 2,917

19.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$1.02 ARS 1,581

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.49 ARS 2,295

-14.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$1.02 ARS 1,583

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.14 ARS 1,764

18.42%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$50.3K ARS 77.8M

-32.33%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$38.0K ARS 58.6M

-8.65%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$60.2 ARS 93.0K

181.86%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$14.48 ARS 22.4K

-6.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$21.58 ARS 33.3K

30.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$26.79 ARS 41.4K

63.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$18.31 ARS 28.3K

-6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.13 ARS 15.6K

-31.79%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$240 ARS 370.8K

231.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,307 ARS 6.7M

111.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$95.2 ARS 147.0K

-10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$34.45 ARS 53.2K

68.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$62.9 ARS 97.2K

114.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$70.1 ARS 108.3K

39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$518 ARS 800.3K

133.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$330 ARS 509.3K

94.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,058 ARS 1.6M

91.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$817 ARS 1.3M

23.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,378 ARS 3.7M

75.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,264 ARS 2.0M

51.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,102 ARS 1.7M

-40.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

100

-89.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Quilmes

$330 34.4% 48.6% $312

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Quilmes

$212 22.2% 28.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Quilmes

$96 10.1% 54.4% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Quilmes

$143 15% 15.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Quilmes

$118 12.3% 30.1% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Quilmes

$11 * 1.1% 88.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Quilmes

$47 4.9% 18.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $518 in Quilmes. 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 68% higher in Quilmes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Quilmes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $212 – making Quilmes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇷 Quilmes

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

01:05 1:05 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

230,810

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,545 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,732 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Quilmes 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quilmes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,436 in Quilmes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quilmes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $518 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Quilmes. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $957 in Quilmes. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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